High Prospects for Saudi-Korean Cooperation in Establishing Industrial Cities

The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources during his meeting with his Korean counterpart in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources during his meeting with his Korean counterpart in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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High Prospects for Saudi-Korean Cooperation in Establishing Industrial Cities

The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources during his meeting with his Korean counterpart in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources during his meeting with his Korean counterpart in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Riyadh and Seoul reviewed the horizons for cooperation in industrial development on Thursday, especially collaboration on transferring the expertise of establishing and managing industrial cities in South Korea.

Cooperation was discussed during a meeting between the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Al-Khorayef, and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of the Republic of Korea Moon Seung-wook, who is currently visiting the Kingdom.

Moon arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for a three-day visit at the Saudi minister’s invitation.

During the meeting, Al-Khorayef highlighted the industrial and mining sectors, as well as the mining investment system and opportunities in the Kingdom. Benefiting from the Korean experience in the fields of establishing and managing industrial cities was reviewed by the two ministers.

The Saudi Minister of Industry also discussed areas of cooperation and investment opportunities between the two countries in the fields of food industries, automobile industry, and shipbuilding, in addition to the manufacture of medical imaging devices, cosmetics, fashion, and leather products.

Al-Khorayef invited the Korean companies to visit the industrial cities in the Kingdom, Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu and MODON.
The Kingdom’s non-oil exports to South Korea in 2020 amounted to SAR 3.2 billion, while the volume of imports from Korea to the Kingdom amounted to SAR14.4 billion riyals.

In other news, the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources revealed, in a report issued by the National Center for Industrial and Mining Information, that the volume of investments in the Kingdom’s manufacturing products industry exceeded SAR 15 billion by the end of September 2021.

These investments constitute 1.13% of the total volume of investments in the industrial sector, said the ministry, noting that the number of factories specialized in manufacturing industries in Saudi Arabia has reached 230.

According to the report, these factories specialized in the manufacturing industries contribute to providing nearly 10,000 jobs in various technical, mechanical and supervisory fields, with national cadres accounting for 27% of those jobs.

The Kingdom’s manufacturing industries include a wide range of products, including jewelry, tools and devices for medicine, surgery, dentistry, veterinary medicine and other products, said the report.

The report also indicated that the volume of exports of the manufacturing industries exceeds SAR 436 million.



Oil Prices Fall as Demand Concerns Overshadow Libyan Export Halt

FILE - The drilling rig of the Kingfisher oil field, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is seen on the shores of Lake Albert in the Kikuube district of western Uganda Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)
FILE - The drilling rig of the Kingfisher oil field, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is seen on the shores of Lake Albert in the Kikuube district of western Uganda Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)
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Oil Prices Fall as Demand Concerns Overshadow Libyan Export Halt

FILE - The drilling rig of the Kingfisher oil field, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is seen on the shores of Lake Albert in the Kikuube district of western Uganda Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)
FILE - The drilling rig of the Kingfisher oil field, operated by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is seen on the shores of Lake Albert in the Kikuube district of western Uganda Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda, File)

Brent oil prices fell on Tuesday as sluggish economic growth in China, the world's biggest crude importer, increased worries about demand that overshadowed the impact of the halt of production and exports from Libya.
Brent crude futures were down 17 cents, or 0.2%, to $77.35 a barrel by 0620 GMT, Reuters reported.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures, which did not settle on Monday because of the US Labor Day holiday, were up 50 cents, or 0.7%, at $74.05 a barrel.
"Oil remains under pressure given lingering Chinese demand concerns. Weaker-than-expected PMI data over the weekend would have done little to ease these worries," said Warren Patterson of ING, adding that demand jitters are offsetting the Libyan supply disruptions.
China's purchasing managers' index (PMI) hit a six-month low in August. On Monday, the country reported new export orders in July fell for first time in eight months, and new home prices grew in August at their weakest pace this year.
In Libya, oil exports at major ports were halted on Monday and production curtailed across the country, six engineers told Reuters, continuing a standoff between rival political factions over control of the central bank and oil revenue.
The country's National Oil Corp (NOC) declared force majeure on its El Feel oil field from Sept. 2. Total production had plunged to little more than 591,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of Aug. 28 from nearly 959,000 bpd on Aug. 26, NOC said. Production was at about 1.28 million bpd on July 20, the company said.
Still, some supply is set to return to the market as eight members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and affiliates, known as OPEC+, are scheduled to boost output by 180,000 bpd in October. The plan is likely to go ahead regardless of demand worries, according to industry sources.
OPEC planners may decide that the expected upcoming cuts in US interest rates and the Libyan outage provides space for the addition of more oil, RBC Capital analyst Helima Croft said in a note.
"In our view, a prolonged Libyan outage could support Brent prices" around $85 a barrel, even with additional supply coming onto the market in the fourth quarter, she said.