Saudi-French Agreement to Boost Economnic Cooperation

Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness (L) and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia (R).
Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness (L) and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia (R).
TT

Saudi-French Agreement to Boost Economnic Cooperation

Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness (L) and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia (R).
Franck Riester, French minister delegate for foreign trade and economic attractiveness (L) and Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia (R).

A French delegation of government officials, diplomats, and investors concluded their visit to Saudi Arabia by signing an agreement to boost bilateral investment relations and support long-term partnerships in emerging sectors.

The delegation included French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester and French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ludovic Pouille.

The framework cooperation deal was signed between the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) and MEDEF International, which is a French non-profit responsible for promoting the French private sector internationally.

Commenting on the agreement, Laurent Germain, chairman of the Saudi-French Business Council of MEDEF International, said: “I am delighted to have signed the framework cooperation agreement between MEDEF International and the Saudi Ministry of Investment, which will serve as an important step in deepening Saudi-French economic ties."

"Over the past couple of days, we held insightful and productive meetings with Saudi ministers, government officials, CEOs, and investors, and we thank our Saudi partners for hosting us.”

Speaking on the occasion, the French minister said: “French companies are ready and willing to be major partners in the Kingdom’s giga-projects. Thanks to their world-renowned know-how and unmatched expertise, they are ideally suited to meet the high expectations of the Kingdom.”

The meetings were held in Riyadh and were attended by several Saudi government entities, including officials from the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Commerce, and the Public Investment Fund (PIF).



Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
TT

Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices rose over 1% to hit a two-week peak on Friday, heading for the best weekly performance in more than a year, buoyed by safe-haven demand as Russia-Ukraine tensions intensified.

Spot gold jumped 1.3% to $2,703.05 per ounce as of 1245 GMT, hitting its highest since Nov. 8. US gold futures gained 1.1% to $2,705.30.

Bullion rose despite the US dollar hitting a 13-month high, while bitcoin hit a record peak and neared the $100,000 level.

"With both gold and USD (US dollar) rising, it seems that safe-haven demand is lifting both assets," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Ukraine's military said its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations and other military installations in Russia, Reuters reported.

Gold has gained over 5% so far this week, its best weekly performance since October 2023. Prices have gained around $173 after slipping to a two-month low last week.

"We understand that the price setback has been used by 'Western world' investors under-allocated to gold to build exposure considering the geopolitical risks that are still around. So we continue to expect gold to rise further over the coming months," Staunovo said.

Bullion tends to shine during geopolitical tensions, economic risks, and a low interest rate environment. Markets are pricing in a 59.4% chance of a 25-basis-points cut at the Fed's December meeting, per the CME Fedwatch tool.

However, "if Fed skips or pauses its rate cut in December, that will be negative for gold prices and we could see some pullback," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Chicago Federal Reserve president reiterated his support for further US interest rate cuts on Thursday.

On Friday, spot silver rose 1.8% to $31.34 per ounce, platinum eased 0.1% to $960.13 and palladium fell 0.6% to $1,023.55. All three metals were on track for a weekly rise.