Saudi Arabia, Morocco Sign MoU to Boost Sustainability in Tourism Industry

Saudi Arabia signs an agreement for sustainable development in the tourism industry with Morocco. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia signs an agreement for sustainable development in the tourism industry with Morocco. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, Morocco Sign MoU to Boost Sustainability in Tourism Industry

Saudi Arabia signs an agreement for sustainable development in the tourism industry with Morocco. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia signs an agreement for sustainable development in the tourism industry with Morocco. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia and Morocco signed on Friday a memorandum of understanding to promote cooperation in tourism and coordinate efforts to achieve sustainable development of the tourism industry.

The ceremony was attended by Saudi Tourism Minister Ahmed bin Aqil Al-Khatib, and his Moroccan counterpart, Fatima Zahra Ammor, on the sidelines of the 117th session of the Executive Council meeting of the UN’s World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

In a statement, Al-Khatib said: “Saudi Arabia and Morocco enjoy a joint commitment to protect rich heritage sites, marine, mountainous and desert natural areas, in addition to their keenness on giving priority to youth in their development plans.”

He emphasized that the Kingdom’s tourism goals paid great attention to the importance of sustainability.

For her part, the Moroccan minister of Tourism noted that the new MoU reflected the “strong ties between the two countries and the common vision towards consolidating partnership and improving prospects for cooperation in the tourism sector...”

“It will lead to more joint initiatives and the exchange of experiences and best practices, allowing the two countries to develop their capabilities in the tourism field,” she added.

The Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) opened on Wednesday in Marrakesh a three-day meeting, with the participation of over 250 representatives of UNWTO member countries, including tourism ministers, public and private investors, travel agents, and hotel and travel industry professionals.

The agenda focuses on the current turn in international tourism, the financial situation of the organization, a report on human resources, a proposal to create a study group to rethink future tourism, and a report on the progress of the legal and practical framework for the creation of regional and thematic offices of the UNWTO.



Gold Prices Retreat from Record High as Investors Cash In

A jeweller shows a gold bar at his shop in downtown Kuwait City on May 20, 2024. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A jeweller shows a gold bar at his shop in downtown Kuwait City on May 20, 2024. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
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Gold Prices Retreat from Record High as Investors Cash In

A jeweller shows a gold bar at his shop in downtown Kuwait City on May 20, 2024. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)
A jeweller shows a gold bar at his shop in downtown Kuwait City on May 20, 2024. (Photo by YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP)

Gold prices pulled back from a record high on Thursday as investors booked profits following a rally driven by concerns around US President Donald Trump's latest wave of tariff policies.

Spot gold was down 0.3% at $3,331.73 an ounce, as of 1120 GMT, after touching a record $3,357.40 earlier in the session. Bullion has gained nearly 3% this week.

US gold futures were steady at $3,346.30.

"Likely the reversal off fresh all-time highs can be attributed to some profit-taking on the highs. A slightly firmer tone to an otherwise weak US dollar likely took the edge off gold," said Ross Norman, an independent analyst, Reuters reported.

"Price dips are well bought into, suggesting underlying sentiment is very positive."

The dollar index recovered from near a three-year low on Thursday, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Gold rose 3.6% on Wednesday, driven by Trump's order to open a probe into potential tariffs on all critical mineral imports, in addition to reviews into pharmaceutical and chip imports.

Meanwhile, US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the Fed would wait for more data before changing interest rates, while also cautioning that Trump's tariff policies risked pushing inflation further from the central bank's goals.

Gold, traditionally viewed as a hedge against inflation, also tends to thrive in a low-interest rate environment.

"The market's interpretation seems to be that gold would benefit either way," said Carsten Menke, an analyst at Julius Baer.

Demand for physical gold was tepid in India this week as a blistering price rally curbed purchases, while premiums held firm in top consumer China.

"Reduced participation in the rally by traditional gold buyers might signal the move is nearer the end than the beginning. But it’s hard to see a scenario where gold would correct lower just now, other than being technically overbought and overextended," Norman said.

Spot silver dropped 1.1% to $32.39 an ounce, platinum shed 1.4% to $954.12, and palladium fell 2.5% to $949.26.