Royal Commission Prepares Infrastructure to Attract Investments in Jazan

Saudi officials signed an investment and construction agreement in the presence of the chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), Khalid al-Salem (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi officials signed an investment and construction agreement in the presence of the chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), Khalid al-Salem (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Royal Commission Prepares Infrastructure to Attract Investments in Jazan

Saudi officials signed an investment and construction agreement in the presence of the chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), Khalid al-Salem (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi officials signed an investment and construction agreement in the presence of the chairman of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY), Khalid al-Salem (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu (RCJY) signed investment and construction agreements worth over $266 million with several investors in Jazan City.

The city concluded the agreements in the presence of chairman Khalid al-Salem who confirmed that the new contracts contribute to achieving the city's goals.

Salem explained that the new deals provided an infrastructure attracting investments in the food and mining manufacturing industries, establishing a vibrant community, increasing GDP output, creating new direct and indirect jobs, and boosting self-sufficiency in the targeted sectors.

CEO of Jazan City for Basic and Transformational Industries Fahd al-Qurashi signed the agreements, which would create more than 300 direct and indirect jobs.

The investment agreements were signed with several companies, including Public Investment Fund-owned Saudi Coffee Company, to develop and build a coffee processing factory using the latest technology.

RCJY signed an agreement worth $80 million with United Feed Co. to build a grain and animal feed factory.

The Royal Commission pumped nearly $109 million, including construction contracts and the development of the city's infrastructure, following top standards.

The city also signed two investment agreements with Namariq Arabian Services to develop a residential complex accommodating 7,000 people and an investment exceeding $38.6 million. They signed a deal to build 320 housing units for families at an investment of over $38 million on an area of 250,000 square meters for the two projects.

The importance of investment contracts and agreements stems from boosting investment and infrastructure development, which contributes to supporting the national economy, empowering the private sector, diversifying sources of income, expanding the production base, and creating sustainable job opportunities in the region.



EUROPE GAS-Prices Continue to Decline

Model of natural gas pipeline and Gazprom logo, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Model of natural gas pipeline and Gazprom logo, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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EUROPE GAS-Prices Continue to Decline

Model of natural gas pipeline and Gazprom logo, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Model of natural gas pipeline and Gazprom logo, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Dutch and British wholesale gas prices continued to declined on Tuesday morning on milder weather forecasts for next week, high wind speeds and stable supply.

The benchmark front-month contract at the Dutch TTF hub was down 0.61 euros at 46.65 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) at 0947 GMT, according to LSEG data.

The contract for March was down 0.52 euro at 46.63 euros/MWh.

In Britain, the front-month contract fell by 2.04 pence to 116.76 pence per therm.

In north-west Europe, although another cold snap is forecast from Friday over the weekend, the latest forecasts are showing milder temperatures than yesterday from Jan. 15, according to LSEG data, Reuters reported.

Wind speeds are expected to remain quite strong today, limiting gas demand.

However, in north-west Europe, gas-for-power demand is expected 36 million cubic metres (mcm) per day higher at 78 mcm/day on the day-ahead.

"Wind speeds are expected still high today, before dropping sharply tomorrow with the cold spell arriving," said LSEG gas analyst Saku Jussila.

In Britain, Peak wind generation is forecast at around 15.1 gigawatts (GW) today and 14.7 GW tomorrow, Elexon data showed.

Analysts at Engie EnergyScan said EU net storage withdrawals have slowed due to a more comfortable spot balance but the storage gap compared to last year remains high. On 5 January, EU gas stocks were 69.94% full on average, compared to 84.96% last year.

Looking further ahead, analysts at Jefferies expect a tight year for global gas markets due to project delays and higher-than-expected demand.

"European and Asian LNG spot gas prices in 2025 could surpass those of 2024, driven by Europe's increased gas injection needs and the loss of Russian exports outpacing the expected growth in global LNG supply," they said.

"Post 2025, the market is expected to loosen with an additional 175 million tonnes of new supply coming online between 2026 and 2030, primarily from the US and Qatar," they added.

In the European carbon market, the benchmark contract was down 0.91 euro at 73.45 euros a metric ton.