Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
TT

Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman discussed on Monday with his Omani counterpart Dr. Mohammed al-Rumhi coordination within OPEC + and their vision on oil market developments.

While oil prices are witnessing fluctuations as a result of the uncertainty in global economy, the Kingdom is seeking to secure global supplies to match the volume of global demand, leading to the stability of oil markets.

The ministers discussed means of boosting cooperation in various energy fields, including renewable energy, the circular carbon economy and sustainability, the Saudi Energy Ministry tweeted.

This comes in line with the close bilateral cooperation ties in all fields, especially the economic field, it added.

On January 4, OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to stick to its planned increase in oil output for February because it expects the Omicron coronavirus variant to have a short-lived impact on global energy demand.

The OPEC+ agreement allowed for a 400,000 bpd production increase in December from all members, of which about 253,000 bpd is shared by the 10 OPEC members participating in the deal.

Oman is a crude oil producing country and an OPEC+ member, with an average actual production of 1.1 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia is a large oil producer with an average daily production of 11 million barrels. It is the world’s third largest producer after Russia and the United States, and the largest oil exporter with an average of 7.4 million barrels per day.

The volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Oman amounted to $3.36 billion in 2020, while the value of Saudi non-oil exports to Oman reached $1016 billion, according to official media.



China Approves Plan to Raise Retirement Age from January 2025 

Commuters ride an escalator at a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP)
Commuters ride an escalator at a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP)
TT

China Approves Plan to Raise Retirement Age from January 2025 

Commuters ride an escalator at a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP)
Commuters ride an escalator at a subway station during the morning rush hour in Beijing, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP)

China's top legislative body has approved a proposal to raise the country's retirement age, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday, accelerating an overhaul of decades-old laws to tackle the economic pressure of a shrinking workforce.

China's retirement ages are currently amongst the lowest globally.

Reform is urgent with life expectancy in China having risen to 78 years as of 2021 from about 44 years in 1960 and projected to exceed 80 years by 2050. At the same time, the working population needed to support the elderly is shrinking.

The retirement age will be raised for men to 63 years old from 60, while for women in white collar work it would be raised to 58 years from 55. For women in blue collar work it will be adjusted to 55 from 50.

The changes are set to come into force on Jan. 1, 2025.

Having people work for longer would ease pressure on pension budgets with many Chinese provinces already reeling from large deficits. But delaying pension payouts and requiring older workers to stay at their jobs longer may not be welcomed by all of them.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to social media after Xinhua reported that China's top lawmakers discussed the topic on Sept. 10, with many expressing concern there would be more job seekers chasing too few openings.

By raising the retirement age, the government can increase the labor force participation rate, helping to mitigate the adverse effects of population aging, said Xiujian Peng, senior research fellow at the Center of Policy Studies at Victoria University in Australia.

"The government must take action. If the population continues to decline, the shrinking of the labor force will accelerate, further negatively impacting economic growth."

Xing Zhaopeng, ANZ's senior China strategist said the move would likely have "no impact on the short-term economy. In the long run, it will help to avoid premature labor shortages and maintain stable productivity growth."