Saudi Arabia Signs Energy MoUs with Egypt, Oman

The signing of the MoU between Saudi Arabia and Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The signing of the MoU between Saudi Arabia and Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Signs Energy MoUs with Egypt, Oman

The signing of the MoU between Saudi Arabia and Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The signing of the MoU between Saudi Arabia and Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia signed two separate memoranda of understanding in the energy field with Egypt and the Sultanate of Oman on Monday, on the sidelines of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference and the second edition of the Green Middle East Initiative summit, which were held in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and the Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Dr. Muhammad Shaker, signed an MoU for bilateral cooperation, which aims to enhance cooperation in the production and export of electricity from renewable energy, transport of clean hydrogen transport, and electrical interconnection.

The agreement also encourages digital transformation, innovation, cyber-security, and artificial intelligence, as well as the efforts to develop qualitative partnerships in localization, services and supply chains.

Moreover, the MoU supports joint research with universities, research centers and others, in addition to the holding of conferences, seminars and work sessions, as well as building human capacities through training and exchanging information and experiences, with the aim to deepen and expand cooperation between the two countries.

The Saudi minister of Energy and his Omani counterpart, Minister of Energy and Minerals Salem bin Nasser Al-Awfi, signed an MoU for energy cooperation, which includes strengthening cooperation in renewable energy, electricity, energy efficiency and hydrogen, applying the circular carbon economy approach to reduce the effects of climate change, and developing standards to support the use of sustainable materials.

The memorandum also encourages digital transformation, innovation, cooperation between specialized companies, and the development of qualitative partnerships for the localization of materials, products, services, supply chains and technologies, in all fields of energy.

The memorandum includes exchanging training courses and experts’ visits, and conducting scientific research on energy, which would contribute to strengthening cooperation between the two countries.



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.