Arab Countries Support Saudi Arabia’s Decision at OPEC+

A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. (Reuters)
A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. (Reuters)
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Arab Countries Support Saudi Arabia’s Decision at OPEC+

A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. (Reuters)
A 3D printed oil pump jack is seen in front of displayed OPEC logo in this illustration picture, April 14, 2020. (Reuters)

Several Arab countries expressed on Monday their solidarity with and support to Saudi Arabia in wake of the decision taken at the OPEC+ group last week.

Oman’s foreign ministry said it was following the developments related to OPEC+’s decision to partially cut output.

It stressed that it supports the decision that “is based on economic factors and supply and demand.” The decision also aims at achieving “the desired stability in the global market” and was taken in consensus among the group members.

Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said Rabat supports all of Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy decisions.

Speaking from Riyadh on Monday, he stated that the Kingdom was forging ahead on the “right path”.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy, whether in diplomacy or energy, is following a long-term path. It is adopting a rational approach that is immune to pressure, he added.

Morocco completely stands by Saudi Arabia in all the decisions it takes, especially in regards to its security and stability and the security of energy markets, Bourita remarked.

Rabat’s position stems from the deep fraternal ties that bind Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, he continued.

Saudi Arabia is a pillar of the Arab system and its foreign policy is held in high regard by Morocco, he went on to say. Bourita added that his visit to Saudi Arabia is part of the constant communication between the kingdoms’ leaderships and unique relations they have enjoyed throughout history.

Algeria’s Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said the OPEC+ decision stems from “purely technical” needs given the state of the international economy and energy market.

OPEC+ aims to deal with the situation to achieve balance between supply and demand, he added, according to the Algerian state news agency (APS).



Taiwan’s Representative to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Taiwan’s Representative to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Taiwan is investigating who is responsible for modifying the pagers that were turned into explosives in the hands of the Lebanese people, including members of Hezbollah.

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang told Asharq Al-Awsat that 260,000 pagers were exported from his country between 2022 and 2024, and 16 percent of them were sent to the United States and Europe.

He expressed his regret that the pagers were planted with explosives that were used in the attack in Lebanon last month, clarifying that the devices were not directly exported from Taiwan to Lebanon.

He explained that the components of the device are made of material that is not liable to explode.

Apollo Gold, the Taiwanese company that exported the pagers between 2022 and 2024, has never received any complaints that its devices have caused harm or exploded.

The attack in Lebanon has raised several questions and they are being probed by authorities in Taiwan, he went on to say.

One thing is for certain, the devices were not harmful in the shape they were exported from the country, stressed Chang.

Asked about whether the attack may harm Taiwan’s economy, he replied that his country’s industry sector has a strong reputation that will be difficult to undermine given the trust it has from clients.

The size of the sector and Taiwan’s investments cannot be measured by a small number of pagers, as they only make up a mere fraction in the country’s trade relations with countries all over the world, he stressed.

Separately, Chang revealed that Taiwan was considering cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the chip industry, saying he was optimistic over the broad potential for cooperation in the technology sector.

There are no limits to the cooperation between them, he added.

Taiwan constantly wants to maintain the relations and discuss opportunities for joint investments, he stated.

Taiwan was among the first countries to leap to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in all fields to help the Kingdom achieve its Vision 2030 that is spearheaded by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Chang said.