Saudi Arabia Begins Inventory of Overseas Agricultural Investments

 Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Arabia Begins Inventory of Overseas Agricultural Investments

 Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture has announced the launch of the overseas agricultural investment inventory program, which targets the segment of Saudi citizens investing outside the Kingdom, as well as producers who supply the Kingdom.

The ministry explained that the program is an extension of the programs of inventorying agricultural holdings and projects in the Kingdom through the agricultural registry development project and its desire to list and register agricultural investment abroad.

Also, it emphasized that the program highlights the development of economic relations with regard to importing and exporting agricultural commodities and agricultural investment abroad, ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable local agricultural production and agricultural investment abroad.

The agricultural investment inventory program will help diversify and stabilize external food supply sources, support the Kingdom's food security initiatives, and enhance opportunities for agricultural and animal investments abroad.

More so, the program allows the issuance of agricultural records for investment projects abroad, a matter which will benefit Saudi investors.

The program is linked to other programs launched by the Kingdom.

It backs the program for purchasing wheat and other products, financing programs provided by the Agricultural Development Fund for agricultural investment abroad, and the facilities provided by the ministry to importers of agricultural and animal products.

More so, it offers coordination through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Saudi embassies. This will help serve Saudi agricultural investors abroad and strengthen bilateral relations and framework agreements with target countries.

The ministry confirmed that a Geospatial portal would be launched for the program.

This portal will enable investors in the field of agricultural and animal activities to register and benefit from the program.



Oil Slips as Investors Eye Trump Move on Russian Export Curbs

FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack is seen at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack is seen at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo
TT

Oil Slips as Investors Eye Trump Move on Russian Export Curbs

FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack is seen at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An oil pump jack is seen at sunset near Midland, Texas, US, May 3, 2017. REUTERS/Ernest Scheyder/File Photo

Oil prices fell on Monday as expectations of US President-elect Donald Trump relaxing curbs on Russia's energy sector in exchange for a deal to end the Ukraine war offset concern of supply disruption from harsher sanctions.
Brent crude futures dropped 16 cents, or 0.2%, to $80.63 a barrel by 0453 GMT after closing down 0.62% in the previous session.
The more active US West Texas Intermediate crude April contract fell 6 cents to $77.33 a barrel. The front-month contract, which expires on Tuesday, was at $78.03 a barrel, up 15 cents, or 0.19%, after settling down 1.02% on Friday.
Trump, who will be inaugurated later on Monday, is widely expected to make a flurry of policy announcements in the first hours of his second term, including an end to a moratorium on US liquefied natural gas export licences - part of a wider strategy to strengthen the economy.
"There is a fair amount of uncertainty across markets coming into this week given the inauguration of President Trump and the raft of executive orders he reportedly is planning to sign," ING analysts said in a note.
"This combined with it being a US holiday today, means that some market participants may have decided to take some risk off the table."
Both contracts gained more than 1% last week in their fourth successive weekly ascent after the Biden administration sanctioned more than 100 tankers and two Russian oil producers. That led to a scramble by top buyers China and India for prompt oil cargo and a rush for ship supply as dealers of Russian and Iranian oil sought unsanctioned tankers to ferry their load.
While the new sanctions could impact the supply of nearly 1 million barrels per day of oil from Russia, recent price gains could be short lived depending on Trump action, ANZ analysts said in a client note.
Trump has promised to help end the Russia-Ukraine war quickly, which could involve relaxing some curbs to enable an accord, they said.
Analyst Tim Evans said the new sanctions are seen curtailing supply, at least in the near term.
"Higher tanker rates on unencumbered vessels and a widening backwardation in crude oil calendar spreads have been among the notable ripple effects, reinforcing the concern over supplies," he said in his newsletter Evans on Energy.
Backwardation refers to prompt prices being higher than those in future months, indicating tight supply.
The prompt Brent monthly spread <LCOc1-LCOc2> widened in backwardation by 5 cents to $1.27 a barrel on Monday. The WTI spread <CLc1-CLc2> was at 63 cents a barrel, up 14 cents.
Easing tension in the Middle East also kept a lid on oil prices.
Hamas and Israel exchanged hostages and prisoners on Sunday that marked the first day of a ceasefire after 15 months of war.
Separately, investors are watching out for the impact from a cold snap in Texas and New Mexico which may affect US oil production, analysts at ANZ and ING said.