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.



Oil Prices Jump More than 5% after Israel Strikes Iran

An oil pump is seen in Lagunillas, Ciudad Ojeda, in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo
An oil pump is seen in Lagunillas, Ciudad Ojeda, in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo
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Oil Prices Jump More than 5% after Israel Strikes Iran

An oil pump is seen in Lagunillas, Ciudad Ojeda, in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo
An oil pump is seen in Lagunillas, Ciudad Ojeda, in the state of Zulia, Venezuela, March 18, 2015. REUTERS/Isaac Urrutia/File Photo

Oil prices jumped more than 5% on Friday to hit the highest in more than two months after Israel said it struck Iran, raising concerns of escalating tensions in the Middle East that could disrupt oil supplies.

Brent crude futures rose $3.91, or 5.64%, to $73.27 a barrel by 0146 GMT, the highest since April 3. US West Texas Intermediate crude was up $4.09, or 6.01%, at $72.13 a barrel, Reuters reported.

Israel said early on Friday that it struck Iran, and Iranian media said explosions were heard in Tehran as tensions mounted over US efforts to win Iran's agreement to halt production of material for an atomic bomb.

"The Israeli attack on Iran has heightened the risk premium further," MST Marquee senior energy analyst Saul Kavonic said.

"The conflict would need to escalate to the point of Iranian retaliation on oil infrastructure in the region before oil supply is actually materially impacted," he said, adding that Iran could hinder up to 20 million barrels per day of oil supply via attacks on infrastructure or limiting passage through the Strait of Hormuz in an extreme scenario.