Saudi Arabia Boosts its Food Security

Saudi Arabia enhances its food security by attracting the largest global meat company (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia enhances its food security by attracting the largest global meat company (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Boosts its Food Security

Saudi Arabia enhances its food security by attracting the largest global meat company (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia enhances its food security by attracting the largest global meat company (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is boosting its food security by allocating industrial land of ​​more than 25,000 square meters in the second industrial city in Jeddah to the largest international meat company.

The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (Modon) signed a privatization contract with Seara Arabian for Food Industries, the investment arm in the Middle East and North Africa region of the Brazilian JBS group.

JBS is a global leader in protein-based food production and contributes to boosting the export of national products and meeting the local market's needs for various meat products, with a total of 50,000 tons annually.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Osama al-Zamil announced that MODON is ready and capable of attracting and localizing quality industries with added value to the national economy.

Zamil explained that it will help achieve the objectives of the national strategy for industries under Vision 2030.

He added that the project would support the integration of food industry supply chains by facilitating and attracting investors to the targeted areas.

It will also provide support and joint logistical services that boost the efficiency of food factories within these clusters and enhance their contribution to the national export system.

Zamil said that MODON has succeeded since its inception in increasing the number of food and beverage factories in its industrial cities by 200 percent, from 318 to nearly 1,000 factories.



Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
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Oil Falls from Highest since October as Dollar Strengthens

People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
People stand on the the pier with offshore oil and gas platform Esther in the distance on January 5, 2025 in Seal Beach, California. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

Oil prices dipped on Monday amid a strong US dollar ahead of key economic data by the US Federal Reserve and US payrolls later in the week.
Brent crude futures slid 28 cents, or 0.4%, to $76.23 a barrel by 0800 GMT after settling on Friday at its highest since Oct. 14.
US West Texas Intermediate crude was down 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $73.69 a barrel after closing on Friday at its highest since Oct. 11, Reuters reported.
Oil posted five-session gains previously with hopes of rising demand following colder weather in the Northern Hemisphere and more fiscal stimulus by China to revitalize its faltering economy.
However, the strength of the dollar is on investor's radar, Priyanka Sachdeva, a senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, wrote in a report on Monday.
The dollar stayed close to a two-year peak on Monday. A stronger dollar makes it more expensive to buy the greenback-priced commodity.
Investors are also awaiting economic news for more clues on the Federal Reserve's rate outlook and energy consumption.
Minutes of the Fed's last meeting are due on Wednesday and the December payrolls report will come on Friday.
There are some future concerns about Iranian and Russian oil shipments as the potential for stronger sanctions on both producers looms.
The Biden administration plans to impose more sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, taking aim at its oil revenues with action against tankers carrying Russian crude, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Sunday.
Goldman Sachs expects Iran's production and exports to fall by the second quarter as a result of expected policy changes and tighter sanctions from the administration of incoming US President Donald Trump.
Output at the OPEC producer could drop by 300,000 barrels per day to 3.25 million bpd by second quarter, they said.
The US oil rig count, an indicator of future output, fell by one to 482 last week, a weekly report from energy services firm Baker Hughes showed on Friday.
Still, the global oil market is clouded by a supply surplus this year as a rise in non-OPEC supplies is projected by analysts to largely offset global demand increase, also with the possibility of more production in the US under Trump.