Saudi Green Initiative Launches 68 Programs

CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Green Initiative Launches 68 Programs

CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Riyadh Sustainability Strategy announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman launched over 68 ambitious sustainability initiatives covering five sectors: climate, energy production and efficiency, air quality, and water management.

CEO of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City Fahd al-Rasheed said the plan seeks to reduce carbon emissions and increase the share of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030.

The plan also aims to improve waste management in the city by ensuring that "100% of our waste is used, recycled, recovered, and of course, reused."

It will inject $92 billion in sustainable initiatives and projects for the city and stimulate the private sector with investment opportunities.

Speaking at the Saudi Green Initiative forum, Rasheed said that environmental sustainability initiatives include investing $8 billion for water treatment and $15 billion for waste management projects to recycle waste as raw materials, reuse and convert it into energy by 94 percent.

Rasheed explained that the strategy would save the city's economy between $11 to $17.3 billion due to raising the efficiency of infrastructure, reducing energy and water consumption, and reducing the health bill on improved public health.

"We will increase the share of public transport in the city from 5 percent to 20 percent," he indicated, adding that the government is working to ensure that 30 percent of all vehicles in the capital will be powered by electricity by 2030.



Oil Prices Stable on Monday as Data Offsets Surplus Concerns

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Stable on Monday as Data Offsets Surplus Concerns

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices stabilized on Monday after losses last week as lower-than-expected US inflation data offset investors' concerns about a supply surplus next year.

Brent crude futures were down by 38 cents, or 0.52%, to $72.56 a barrel by 1300 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 34 cents, or 0.49%, to $69.12 per barrel.

Oil prices rose in early trading after data on Friday that showed cooling US inflation helped alleviate investors' concerns after the Federal Reserve interest rate cut last week, IG markets analyst Tony Sycamore said, Reuters reported.

"I think the US Senate passing legislation to end the brief shutdown over the weekend has helped," he added.

But gains were reversed by a stronger US dollar, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo told Reuters.

"With the US dollar changing from weaker to stronger, oil prices have given up earlier gains," he said.

The dollar was hovering around two-year highs on Monday morning, after hitting that milestone on Friday.

Brent futures fell by around 2.1% last week, while WTI futures lost 2.6%, on concerns about global economic growth and oil demand after the US central bank signalled caution over further easing of monetary policy. Research from Asia's top refiner Sinopec pointing to China's oil consumption peaking in 2027 also weighed on prices.

Macquarie analysts projected a growing supply surplus for next year, which will hold Brent prices to an average of $70.50 a barrel, down from this year's average of $79.64, they said in a December report.

Concerns about European supply eased on reports the Druzhba pipeline, which sends Russian and Kazakh oil to Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Germany, has restarted after halting on Thursday due to technical problems at a Russian pumping station.

US President-elect Donald Trump on Friday urged the European Union to increase US oil and gas imports or face tariffs on the bloc's exports.

Trump also threatened to reassert US control over the Panama Canal on Sunday, accusing Panama of charging excessive rates to use the Central American passage and drawing a sharp rebuke from Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.