Non-government Members Appointed on Saudi Central Bank’s Board

Sheila Al-Rowaily has become the first woman to join the board of directors of Saudi Central Bank. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheila Al-Rowaily has become the first woman to join the board of directors of Saudi Central Bank. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Non-government Members Appointed on Saudi Central Bank’s Board

Sheila Al-Rowaily has become the first woman to join the board of directors of Saudi Central Bank. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Sheila Al-Rowaily has become the first woman to join the board of directors of Saudi Central Bank. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, has agreed to appoint five non-government members to the Board of Directors of the Saudi Central Bank to lead the Kingdom’s financial sector.

Sheila Al-Rowaily, who worked with Saudi Aramco, has become the first woman to join the board of directors of Saudi Central Bank. Al-Rowaily held several positions in the Aramco, including managing global analysis and financial risks and heading the investment department in the treasury, in addition to her membership in a number of boards, including Hasanah Investment, Al Ahli and Saudi Bank and Saudi Aramco Investment Management.

She has served as chief executive of Wisayah Investment Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aramco, since 2019. Wisayah invests Saudi Aramco Group Companies’ pension funds, defined contribution funds and other long-term investment portfolios.

The royal order also included the appointment of Hamad bin Saud Al-Sayyari, who holds a Master’s degree in economics and assumed the position of governor of the Saudi Central Bank from 1983 to 2009, in addition to several positions such as Secretary-General of the Public Investment Fund and director of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.

The new members also included Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Juffali, Vice President and Executive Partner of the Juffali Company, who chairs the board of directors of his privately-owned company, KJC, in New York City, and is the head of the Saudi-German Business Council. Al-Juffali has extensive experience in the field of investment and financing of major international projects.

Among the new members is Eng. Rashed bin Abdulaziz Al-Hamid, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Rashed Al-Hamid Group. He participated in the establishment of the Riyad Bank, where he held several positions. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Arabian Agricultural Bank and the Saudi Electricity Company, the Higher Commission for Tourism, as well as the Advisory Board of the International Finance Corporation.



Gold Edges Up on Softer Dollar; Focus on US Inflation Data

Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Edges Up on Softer Dollar; Focus on US Inflation Data

Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices inched up on Wednesday as the US dollar eased, while investors' focus shifted to key inflation data from the world's biggest economy for cues on the likely scale of a Federal Reserve rate cut next month.
Spot gold rose 0.3% to $2,639.30 per ounce, as of 0523 GMT. Bullion hit an over one-week low on Tuesday.
US gold futures rose 0.7% to $2,639.40.
The dollar index was down 0.1%, boosting gold's appeal for holders of other currencies. The greenback fell to a near one-week low on Tuesday.
"Gold has been fluctuating alongside dollar volatility. However, in the Asian session, the price movement has been marginal," said Kyle Rodda, financial market analyst at Capital.com.
"In the long run, I think Trump's trade war may be positive for gold because of higher debt loads and a touch of dedollarization," Rodda said.
Investors digested a handful of economic data on Tuesday indicating the economy remained on solid footing.
Traders will now closely monitor core PCE figures, initial jobless claims and GDP (first revision), set for release later in the day.
Markets currently see a 63% chance of a 25-basis-point rate cut by the Fed in December, as per the CME group's FedWatch tool.
Trump's appointments and policies that pressure the Fed, increase deficits, escalate tariffs, or raise concerns about US financial sustainability could collectively support gold prices, said Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs.
Elsewhere, China's net gold imports via Hong Kong in October fell from September and were down 43% from the previous year, data showed.
On the geopolitical front, US-France brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed group Hezbollah took effect at 0200 GMT on Wednesday.
Spot silver edged 0.2% higher to $30.47 per ounce, platinum fell 0.1% to $926.74 and palladium added 0.3% to $980.55