Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Cooperation to Support Global Economic Recovery

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during the Second Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during the Second Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Saudi Arabia Stresses Importance of Cooperation to Support Global Economic Recovery

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during the Second Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan speaks during the Second Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Saudi Arabia underlined the importance of international cooperation to support global economic recovery and prevent negative repercussions amid the current international circumstances.

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammad Al-Jadaan revealed the Kingdom’s continuous efforts to support people and countries in need, including its recent provision of urgent support in the amount of $10 million for Ukrainian refugees in neighboring countries.

The minister’s comments came on Thursday during the Second Meeting of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Washington that was held under the presidency of Indonesia, on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Fahad Al-Mubarak, Governor of the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), emphasized the need to secure the necessary flexibility to address various national circumstances and priorities, highlighting the importance of the circular carbon economy approach, which was adopted at the Riyadh G20 summit.

The meeting was attended by G20 members, invitee countries, including Ukraine, as well as international and regional organizations. G20 Finance Ministers and the Central Bank Governors continued the discussion on the agenda of the previous meeting held in Jakarta in Feb. 2022, namely the global economy and its risks, global health issues, international financial architecture, and sustainable finance.

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors will continue the dialogue at the Third Meeting, which will be held in Bali on July 15-16, 2022.

Meanwhile, Al-Jadaan met on Wednesday with US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, on the sidelines of the Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank.

The meeting touched on bilateral economic relations, the economic impact resulting from geopolitical developments and the Covid-19 pandemic, and the means to face increasing challenges and maintain global economic recovery.



Lebanon's Bonds Rally as Parliament Elects 1st President since 2022

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun after he is elected as the country’s president at the parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun after he is elected as the country’s president at the parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir
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Lebanon's Bonds Rally as Parliament Elects 1st President since 2022

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun after he is elected as the country’s president at the parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri shakes hands with Lebanon’s army chief Joseph Aoun after he is elected as the country’s president at the parliament building in Beirut, Lebanon, Jan. 9, 2025. Reuters/Mohamed Azakir

Lebanese government bonds extended their three-month-long rally on Thursday as the crisis-ravaged country's parliament voted in a new head of state for the first time since 2022.

Lebanese lawmakers elected army chief Joseph Aoun as president. It came after the failure of 12 previous attempts to pick a president and boosts hopes that Lebanon might finally be able to start addressing its dire economic woes.

The country's battered bonds have almost trebled in value since September, when the regional conflict with Israel weakened Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, long viewed as an obstacle to overcoming its political paralysis.

According to Reuters, most of Lebanon's international bonds, which have been in default since 2020, rallied after Aoun's victory was announced to stand 1.3 to 1.7 cents higher on the day and at just over 16 cents on the dollar.

They have risen almost every day since late December, although they remain some of the lowest-priced government bonds in the world, reflecting the scale of Lebanon's difficulties.

With its economy and financial system still reeling from a collapse in 2019, Lebanon is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the conflict, which the World Bank estimates to have cost the country $8.5 billion.

Hasnain Malik, an analyst at financial research firm Tellimer said Aoun's victory was "the first necessary step on a very long road to recovery".

Malik said Aoun now needs to appoint a prime minister and assemble a cabinet that can retain the support of parliament, resuscitate long-delayed reforms and help Lebanon secure international financial support.

The 61-year old Aoun fell short of the required support in Thursday's first round of parliamentary voting and only succeeded in a second round, reportedly after a meeting with Hezbollah and Amal party MPs.

"That presents significant ongoing risk to any new PM and cabinet, which need to maintain the confidence of a majority of parliament," Malik said.