PIF Launches Halal Products Development Company

PIF Launches Halal Products Development Company
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PIF Launches Halal Products Development Company

PIF Launches Halal Products Development Company

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced the launch of the Halal Products Development Company, which will invest in localizing the Halal production industry in Saudi Arabia by increasing the efficiency of the ecosystem locally.

The company will also support the development of knowledge and innovation in this key industry, with plans to export to different markets globally.

Building on Saudi Arabia’s position in the Islamic world, HPDC will aim to unify global efforts and promote Saudi Arabia as a global Halal hub, state news agency SPA reported.

The company will allow local players, small and medium-sized enterprises in particular, to grow and expand across global Halal markets, and will develop the Halal production industry in Saudi Arabia through partnerships with key local and international players to enrich the ecosystem locally and contribute to job creation.

HPDC aims to localize knowledge, technology, and innovation for the development of Halal products including foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.

The company also aims to promote investment and economic opportunities for the industry by introducing various services, including specialized advisory. It will enable PIF and its portfolio companies to access a variety of collaboration and investment opportunities across global Halal markets.

The launch of the company aligns with PIF’s strategy, which focuses on developing and enabling the capabilities of key sectors– including consumer goods and retail, and food and agriculture – to improve the trade balance, localize and develop the industry, and contribute to the diversification of the economy and growth of non-oil GDP, underscoring the objectives of Vision 2030.



Gold Steady as Market Eyes Middle East Conflict, Fed Decision

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
TT
20

Gold Steady as Market Eyes Middle East Conflict, Fed Decision

FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An employee places ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold in a workroom at the Novosibirsk precious metals refining and manufacturing plant in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, Russia, September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Manzyuk/File Photo

Gold prices were steady on Tuesday as investors assessed the conflict between Israel and Iran and looked ahead to this week's US Federal Reserve's policy meeting.

Spot gold was steady at $3,383.01 an ounce, as of 0851 GMT US gold futures fell 0.5% to $3,401.30.

Israel and Iran exchanged attacks for a fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, Reuters reported.

US President Donald Trump urged an evacuation of Iran's capital Tehran and cut short his trip to the G7 summit in Canada. A separate report said he had asked for his administration's National Security Council to be prepared in the situation room.

"Markets are waiting for the latest signals whether hostilities between Israel and Iran would escalate or will remain contained," said Han Tan, chief market analyst at Exinity Group.

"Gold still retains its bias for lurching upwards on signs of a worsening Middle East conflict, given the precious metal's stature as the preferred safe haven of late."

Zero-yield bullion is considered a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainty and tends to thrive in a low-interest environment.

The US central bank rate decision and Chair Jerome Powell's remarks are due on Wednesday. Traders are currently pricing in two cuts by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Citi lowered its short-term and long-term price targets for gold, projecting prices could drop below $3,000 per ounce by late 2025 or early 2026, driven by declining investment demand and an improving global growth outlook, it said in a note on Monday.

Elsewhere, spot silver was up 0.3% at $36.45 per ounce, platinum was unchanged at $1,246.59, while palladium fell 0.4% to $1,025.44.