Mytheresa Intends to Expand Business in Saudi Arabia

Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger.
Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger.
TT

Mytheresa Intends to Expand Business in Saudi Arabia

Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger.
Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger.

Mytheresa, one of the world’s largest online retailers, intends to expand its business by launching a digital platform in Saudi Arabia.

Mytheresa CEO Michael Kliger said the Saudi market was the most important in the region in terms of size, due to the Kingdom’s development plans.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Kliger noted that the company’s plan for 2023 was to become the best digital platform for luxury in the world, while providing the best selection and marketing services.

Kliger pointed to the rapid development taking place in the Saudi market, with the opening of entertainment to the retail sector, saying that the fashion market in the region was achieving remarkable growth with the multiplicity of exhibitions.

The company’s business grew by 55 percent in Europe and 45 percent across North America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific region, he said.

Kliger added that the consumers’ shift to purchasing through digital platforms reflected the success of digital technology.

The main challenges facing the retail sector, he noted, are centered on the ability to continue to provide a great service, indicating that the solution lies in providing qualified and trained cadres.

In this context, he said that the company saw a 20 percent growth in terms of qualifying creative employees in the digital field.

He also stressed that the biggest challenge lied in finding talented people, who are trained and taught to maximize well-being.

On the other hand, Kliger told Asharq Al-Awsat that the secret of success depended on the talented, trained, qualified and motivated staff working on the website, in addition to the trust that the company has enjoyed with more than 200 international brands.

“The second success factor is our partnerships with luxury brands, and thus the ability to obtain exclusivity, due to mutual trust,” he stated.

Mytheresa, the e-commerce platform, was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. The company has global offices in New York, London, Milan, Barcelona and Shanghai.



OPEC Again Cuts 2024, 2025 Oil Demand Growth Forecasts

The OPEC logo. Reuters
The OPEC logo. Reuters
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OPEC Again Cuts 2024, 2025 Oil Demand Growth Forecasts

The OPEC logo. Reuters
The OPEC logo. Reuters

OPEC cut its forecast for global oil demand growth this year and next on Tuesday, highlighting weakness in China, India and other regions, marking the producer group's fourth consecutive downward revision in the 2024 outlook.

The weaker outlook highlights the challenge facing OPEC+, which comprises the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, which earlier this month postponed a plan to start raising output in December against a backdrop of falling prices.

In a monthly report on Tuesday, OPEC said world oil demand would rise by 1.82 million barrels per day in 2024, down from growth of 1.93 million bpd forecast last month. Until August, OPEC had kept the outlook unchanged since its first forecast in July 2023.

In the report, OPEC also cut its 2025 global demand growth estimate to 1.54 million bpd from 1.64 million bpd, Reuters.

China accounted for the bulk of the 2024 downgrade. OPEC trimmed its Chinese growth forecast to 450,000 bpd from 580,000 bpd and said diesel use in September fell year-on-year for a seventh consecutive month.

"Diesel has been under pressure from a slowdown in construction amid weak manufacturing activity, combined with the ongoing deployment of LNG-fuelled trucks," OPEC said with reference to China.

Oil pared gains after the report was issued, with Brent crude trading below $73 a barrel.

Forecasts on the strength of demand growth in 2024 vary widely, partly due to differences over demand from China and the pace of the world's switch to cleaner fuels.

OPEC is still at the top of industry estimates and has a long way to go to match the International Energy Agency's far lower view.

The IEA, which represents industrialised countries, sees demand growth of 860,000 bpd in 2024. The agency is scheduled to update its figures on Thursday.

- OUTPUT RISES

OPEC+ has implemented a series of output cuts since late 2022 to support prices, most of which are in place until the end of 2025.

The group was to start unwinding the most recent layer of cuts of 2.2 million bpd from December but said on Nov. 3 it will delay the plan for a month, as weak demand and rising supply outside the group maintain downward pressure on the market.

OPEC's output is also rising, the report showed, with Libyan production rebounding after being cut by unrest. OPEC+ pumped 40.34 million bpd in October, up 215,000 bpd from September. Iraq cut output to 4.07 million bpd, closer to its 4 million bpd quota.

As well as Iraq, OPEC has named Russia and Kazakhstan as among the OPEC+ countries which pumped above quotas.

Russia's output edged up in October by 9,000 bpd to about 9.01 million bpd, OPEC said, slightly above its quota.