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Saudi Arabia, China Stress Importance of Reliable Oil Supplies for Market Stability

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the online meeting with China’s National Energy Administrator Zhang Jianhua (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the online meeting with China’s National Energy Administrator Zhang Jianhua (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, China Stress Importance of Reliable Oil Supplies for Market Stability

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the online meeting with China’s National Energy Administrator Zhang Jianhua (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the online meeting with China’s National Energy Administrator Zhang Jianhua (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia and China have agreed to cooperate in the field of "peaceful use of nuclear energy" and establish a regional hub for Chinese manufacturers to use the Kingdom's strategic location linking three continents.

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman held on Friday an online meeting with China’s National Energy Administrator Zhang Jianhua.

During the call, the two sides affirmed their keenness to work on enhancing cooperation between the two countries in the energy field.

They also stressed the importance of cooperation in electricity, renewable energy, and clean hydrogen through research and development.

The discussions included cooperation and joint investment in the “Belt and Road Initiative,” investing in the integrated refining and petrochemical industry in both countries and enhancing cooperation in the energy sector supply chains.

The two sides affirmed their willingness to cooperate in maintaining the stability of the global oil market, stressing that Saudi Arabia is "the most reliable partner and source of crude oil supplies to China."

They also confirmed their willingness to work together to support the stability of the international oil market, continue close communication, and strengthen cooperation to address emerging risks and challenges.

Saudi Arabia and China affirmed their readiness to cooperate in maintaining the stability of the global oil market, their continuation of effective communication, and strengthening cooperation to face future challenges.

They also highlighted the importance of long-term and reliable oil supply to stabilize the global market that endures various uncertainties due to complex and changeable international situations, noting that the Kingdom continues to be China's most reliable partner and supplier of oil.

The two sides pointed out to the importance of ongoing talks between China and Saudi Arabia, noting that the Kingdom remains the most reliable partner and exporter of crude oil supplies.

Meanwhile, oil prices fell on Friday for a second week, as investor concerns about the impact of sharp increases in interest rates on energy consumption dashed hopes related to increased Chinese demand and production cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies.

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Patrick Harker said that given the current situation, the bank is trying to slow the economy and will continue to raise interest rates in the short term.

Brent crude fell $1.16, or 1.3 percent, to $91.22 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 74 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $83.77 a barrel.

Brent is on track to record a weekly increase of 0.4 percent, while WTI is expected to decline by two percent.

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Business

EU Says US Must Honor a Trade Deal after Court Blocks Trump Tariffs

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, D.C., US, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, D.C., US, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
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EU Says US Must Honor a Trade Deal after Court Blocks Trump Tariffs

FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, D.C., US, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, D.C., US, February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

The European Union's executive arm requested “full clarity” from the United States and asked its trade partner to fulfill its commitments after the US Supreme Court struck down some of President Donald Trump’s most sweeping tariffs.

Trump has lashed out at the court decision and said Saturday that he wants a global tariff of 15%, up from the 10% he announced a day earlier.

The European Commission said the current situation is not conducive to delivering "fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial” trans-Atlantic trade and investment, as agreed to by both sides and spelled out in the EU-US Joint Statement of August 2025.

American and EU officials sealed a trade deal last year that imposes a 15% import tax on 70% of European goods exported to the United States. The European Commission handles trade for the 27 EU member countries.

A top EU lawmaker said on Sunday he will propose to the European Parliament negotiating team to put the ratifying process of the deal on pause.

“Pure tariff chaos on the part of the US administration,” Bernd Lange, the chair of Parliament’s international trade committee, wrote on social media. “No one can make sense of it anymore — only open questions and growing uncertainty for the EU and other US trading partners.”

The value of EU-US trade in goods and services amounted to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) in 2024, or an average of 4.6 billion euros a day, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat.

“A deal is a deal,” the European Commission said. “As the United States’ largest trading partner, the EU expects the US to honor its commitments set out in the Joint Statement — just as the EU stands by its commitments. EU products must continue to benefit from the most competitive treatment, with no increases in tariffs beyond the clear and all-inclusive ceiling previously agreed."

Jamieson Greer, Trump’s top trade negotiator, said in a CBS News interview Sunday morning that the US plans to stand by its trade deals and expects its partners to do the same.

He said he talked to his European counterpart this weekend and hasn’t heard anyone tell him the deal is off.

“The deals were not premised on whether or not the emergency tariff litigation would rise or fall,” Greer said. “I haven’t heard anyone yet come to me and say the deal’s off. They want to see how this plays out.”

Europe’s biggest exports to the US are pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits. Among the biggest US exports to the bloc are professional and scientific services like payment systems and cloud infrastructure, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, aerospace products and cars.

“When applied unpredictably, tariffs are inherently disruptive, undermining confidence and stability across global markets and creating further uncertainty across international supply chains,” The Associated Press quoted the commission as saying.

As primarily a trading bloc, the EU has a powerful tool at its disposal to retaliate — the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument. It includes a raft of measures for blocking or restricting trade and investment from countries found to be putting undue pressure on EU member nations or corporations.

The measures could include curtailing the export and import of goods and services, barring countries or companies from EU public tenders, or limiting foreign direct investment. In its most severe form, it would essentially close off access to the EU’s 450-million customer market and inflict billions of dollars of losses on US companies and the American economy.

Business

GCC GDP Jumps to $2.3 Trillion

GCC countries continued to record GDP growth, supported by economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms (Oman News Agency).
GCC countries continued to record GDP growth, supported by economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms (Oman News Agency).
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GCC GDP Jumps to $2.3 Trillion

GCC countries continued to record GDP growth, supported by economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms (Oman News Agency).
GCC countries continued to record GDP growth, supported by economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms (Oman News Agency).

A statistical report published on Sunday showed that the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries recorded growth in gross domestic product, supported by economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms. Combined GDP reached $2.3 trillion, ranking ninth globally, with a growth rate of 2.2 percent.

The report revealed that GCC countries achieved qualitative advances in 2024 across competitiveness, energy, trade, and digitization, driven by growth in non-oil sectors, improved quality of life, the development of digital infrastructure, and a stronger regional and international presence.

In the “GCC in Numbers” report issued by the Statistical Center for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf, it was emphasized that GCC states continue to record real GDP growth “thanks to economic diversification programs and fiscal reforms, with GDP reaching $2.3 trillion, ranking ninth globally, and posting growth of 2.2 percent.”

The report also showed improvement in global economic indicators, including competitiveness, resilience, and economic dynamism.

GCC countries ranked first globally in oil reserves at 511.9 billion barrels, third worldwide in natural gas production at 442 billion cubic metres, and second globally in natural gas reserves at 44.3 billion cubic metres.

GCC countries ranked 10th globally in total exports valued at $849.6 billion, 11th in imports at $739.0 billion, 10th in total trade at $1.5895 trillion, and sixth worldwide in trade balance surplus at $109.7 billion.

Business

Algeria Tenders to Buy Nominal 50,000 Metric Tons Soft Milling Wheat

Mature spring wheat awaits harvest on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon VanRaes/File Photo
Mature spring wheat awaits harvest on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon VanRaes/File Photo
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Algeria Tenders to Buy Nominal 50,000 Metric Tons Soft Milling Wheat

Mature spring wheat awaits harvest on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon VanRaes/File Photo
Mature spring wheat awaits harvest on a farm near Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Shannon VanRaes/File Photo

Algeria's state grains agency OAIC has issued an international tender to buy soft milling wheat to be sourced from optional origins, European traders said on Sunday.

The tender sought a nominal 50,000 metric tons but Algeria often buys considerably more in its tenders than the nominal volume sought, Reuters reported.

The deadline for submission of price offers in the tender is Tuesday, February 24, with offers having to remain valid until Wednesday, February 25. The wheat is sought for shipment in three periods from the main supply regions including Europe: April 16-30, May 1-15 and May 16-31. If sourced from South America or Australia, shipment is one month earlier.

Algeria is a vital customer for wheat from the European Union, especially France, but Russian and other Black Sea region exporters have been expanding strongly in the Algerian market.