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Red Sea Development Company Adopts Green Strategy to Support Tourism

The Red Sea Development Company cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to set new standards in sustainable development that are compatible with global biosecurity regulations. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Red Sea Development Company cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to set new standards in sustainable development that are compatible with global biosecurity regulations. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Red Sea Development Company Adopts Green Strategy to Support Tourism

The Red Sea Development Company cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to set new standards in sustainable development that are compatible with global biosecurity regulations. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Red Sea Development Company cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to set new standards in sustainable development that are compatible with global biosecurity regulations. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

As part of its commitment to developing a comprehensive sustainable landscape strategy to embrace the pristine environmental components and enhance biodiversity in the Red Sea region, the Red Sea Development Company - a subsidiary of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) - is seeking to rely on local and regional plants while including endemic and adaptive plant species.

The company cooperates with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture to set new standards in sustainable development that are compatible with global biosecurity regulations, policies and procedures with regard to importing the required types of adapted plants and agricultural products into the Kingdom.

In this regard, the ministry, in coordination with the Red Sea Nursery, provided seeds and seedlings of many local plant species, in addition to developing mechanisms for transporting and planting large trees and palms from their local and regional sources to the destination.

John Pagano, CEO of the Red Sea Development Company and AMAALA, said the nursery, which extends over an area of 100 hectares, was currently producing one million plants.

“We are seeking to increase that rate by another million plants by the end of this year,” he added.

Fahd Al-Hubaili, Assistant Director of Environmental Programs at the Red Sea Development Company, noted that the establishment of the Red Sea Nursery came in line with the highest international standards to provide all projects with multiple options of plant species needed to enhance the landscape and the planned environmental improvement programs.

He underlined the company’s keenness to comply with the sustainability goals, which include protecting the natural components inherent in the region and enhancing them by applying the highest standards of sustainability and biosecurity.

The nursery covers an area of more than one million square meters, making it one of the largest nurseries in the Middle East and one of the most important destination facilities for implementing the sustainability strategy in the Red Sea Project.

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Dollar Steadies ahead of Trump Inauguration

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
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Dollar Steadies ahead of Trump Inauguration

A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo
A teller sorts US dollar banknotes inside the cashier's booth at a forex exchange bureau in downtown Nairobi, Kenya February 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya/File photo

The US dollar steadied on Thursday despite the sharp fall in US bond yields after Wednesday’s inflation data as market focus shifted to Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration next week and possible inflationary impact of his policies.

Meanwhile the yen rose against the dollar and the euro as investors expected the Bank of Japan to hike rates next week.

The US dollar index - a measure of the value of the greenback relative to a basket of foreign currencies - was up 0.1% at 109.12.

"Markets are cautious before the inauguration because there is still policy uncertainty," said Paul Mackel, global head of foreign exchange research at HSBC.

"If the risk of US tariffs begins to materialize, the dollar will get another lift," he added, Reuters reported.

The highlight of the day should be the nomination hearing of Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the Treasury Department.

Bessent, who will face questioning before the US Senate Finance Committee, is expected to keep a leash on US deficits and to use tariffs as a negotiating tool, mitigating the expected inflationary impact of economic policies expected from the Trump administration.

The US inflation curve "has a well-identifiable 40 bps 'hump' over the next 12 months, which is near-identical to the estimated impact of a 5% universal and 20% China tariff starting as soon as Trump gets in office," said George Saravelos, head of forex research at Deutsche Bank.

"The market is pricing quick but moderate tariffs," he added. "We see risks of slower but bigger tariffs."

Traders who have been growing more worried about inflation responded with relief to Wednesday's US data, buying stocks and sending benchmark 10-year Treasury yields down more than 13 basis points. The currency reaction was more muted.

Analysts flagged that the US consumer price data was better than expected, but still showing inflation above Federal Reserve targets. The figures provided the US bond market with an excuse to do some downside testing for yields, but such a move is unlikely to go far.

"We still think that it will be easy for the Fed to remain on hold for now and wait for more data and fiscal policy clarity," said Allison Boxer, an economist at PIMCO, adding that US data did not change their forecasts for core inflation.

"We expect this to be the message (Fed) Chair (Jerome) Powell aims to communicate at the January meeting."

There was little direct reaction in foreign exchange markets to the ceasefire deal in Gaza, though the Israeli shekel did touch a one-month high on Wednesday.

The yen rose 0.46% against the dollar, after hitting 155.21, its lowest level since Dec. 19. It was up 0.51% against the euro at 160.19.

Recent remarks from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda and his deputy Ryozo Himino have made clear that a hike will at least be discussed at next week's policy meeting and markets see about a 79% chance of a 25 basis point increase, while pricing 50 bps of rate hikes by year-end.

"Yen strengthened on expectations for a rate hike, but now the focus is on what BOJ officials will say about the monetary policy outlook," HSBC's Mackel argued.

"They could signal a more gradual path for the future, which could limit yen gains."

Japan's annual wholesale inflation held steady at 3.8% in December on stubbornly high food costs, data showed on Thursday.

"Expectations of a BOJ hike and perhaps fears of more forex intervention in the 158/160 area have helped the yen outperform," said Chris Turner, head of forex strategy at ING.

"We expect that to continue into next week's BOJ meeting. However, dips may exhaust in the 153/155 area," he said.

The euro was up 0.05% at $1.0294.

Sterling dropped sharply against the yen and also weakened versus the dollar and the euro on Thursday as investors focused on monetary policy divergence after last week's selloff in gilts and the pound.

China's yuan, seen on the front lines of tariff risk, was pinned near the weak end of its trading band at 7.3468 throughout the Asia session.