Saudi Arabia, Iraq to Complete Steps for Cooperation in Gas, Renewable Energy

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
TT

Saudi Arabia, Iraq to Complete Steps for Cooperation in Gas, Renewable Energy

Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad meet in Riyadh on Thursday. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have agreed to complete work on a number of important joint projects in the fields of gas, petrochemicals, electricity and renewable energy, and to intensify communication between them to discuss more joint opportunities.  

This came during a meeting on Thursday between Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, and Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani Al-Sawad.  

The officials pointed to the progress achieved in the joint electrical interconnection project, emphasizing the importance of accelerating the implementation of the plan and increasing the capacity of the linkage to meet the aspirations of their countries.  

A statement said that the officials stressed the need to enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of electricity and renewable energy, including operating and maintaining electrical networks and stations, and developing renewable energy plant projects.  

They also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the area of clean technologies to reduce carbon emissions, within the framework of the Green Middle East initiative, which is based on the carbon circular economy approach and which includes the establishment of a knowledge center and a regional complex for carbon capture, use and storage.  

The meeting touched on the importance of exchanging experiences in the field of reducing greenhouse gas and methane emissions, and benefiting from the Kingdom’s experience in the liquid fuel displacement program.   

The two sides reviewed the developments in the global oil markets, stressing the importance of working collectively within the framework of the OPEC+ agreement, and underlined their countries’ commitment to the organization’s decision, which extends to the end of 2023. 



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
TT

Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.