Riyadh Conference Stresses Solid Foundations in Building Digital Economy

Prince Turki Al-Faisal addresses the Global Asset Allocation Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Turki Al-Faisal addresses the Global Asset Allocation Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Riyadh Conference Stresses Solid Foundations in Building Digital Economy

Prince Turki Al-Faisal addresses the Global Asset Allocation Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Turki Al-Faisal addresses the Global Asset Allocation Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Global Asset Allocation Conference underlined on Tuesday the importance of new rules and patterns to strengthen the digital economy.

The conference was organized by the Family Office and held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Prince Turki Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz, President of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, stressed that in light of globalization, any political, financial or social crisis can turn into a global matter.

He noted the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian war crisis on food security, energy and supply chains, which have cast their effects on the global economy.

Prince Turki stressed the need for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States to build strong economies on firm foundations.

On the role of women in Saudi society, he said: “Our society will not realize its aspirations unless equality is achieved between men and women.”

The government and people of Saudi Arabia were determined to work in this direction for the sake of society, he added.

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, Chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board of Al-Arabiya TV news channel, discussed during the conference the trade partnership between Saudi Arabia and China and its impact on the relationship with the United States.

He pointed to the importance of the agreement to restore relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which was mediated by Beijing, explaining that China has become an important country in the international map and the region, at a time when ties are still strong with Europe and America.

Jonathan Berger, CEO and Chief Investment Officer of AS Birch Grove, underlined the opportunities in the liquid credit market in North America, while Edward Siskind, Founder and CEO of Cale Street, touched on low occupancy levels in commercial real estate in major American cities, with the new work-from-home policy and the rise of sustainability movements.



Iraq’s Government Orders Kurdistan Region to Immediately Transfer Oil Production to SOMO

The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
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Iraq’s Government Orders Kurdistan Region to Immediately Transfer Oil Production to SOMO

The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)
The Iraqi Council of Ministers headed by Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani (INA)

The Iraqi government announced on Tuesday that it has ordered the Kurdistan region to immediately transfer its oil production to Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The Iraqi cabinet also approved a budgetary measure to reimburse the Kurdish government for production and transportation costs, setting a rate of $16 per barrel for foreign oil companies operating in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Türkiye had halted oil flows through the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pipeline in March 2023 after the International Chamber of Commerce ordered Ankara to pay $1.5 billion in compensation to Baghdad. This was due to unauthorized oil exports by the KRG between 2014 and 2018. The arbitration ruling concluded that Ankara had violated the 1973 treaty by enabling oil exports from the region without the Iraqi federal government’s approval.

Efforts to reopen the pipeline have been stalled by competing demands from the KRG, foreign oil companies, and the Iraqi federal government. According to a cabinet statement, Iraq’s Ministry of Oil, in coordination with the Kurdistan Ministry of Natural Resources, will appoint an international technical advisor to determine fair production and transport costs for each oil field within 60 days of the law’s implementation. If no agreement is reached within that period, the Iraqi cabinet will select an international advisory body independently of Kurdish authorities.

Iraq has attributed the delay in resuming crude exports to foreign companies and Kurdish authorities, stating that these entities have not yet submitted their contracts to the Iraqi Oil Ministry for review. Additionally, foreign companies have demanded higher production costs, a request the Iraqi government has rejected.