KSA Enables Private Sector to Invest In State Development Projects

Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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KSA Enables Private Sector to Invest In State Development Projects

Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia seeks to enable the private sector to participate in government development projects. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Real Estate announced the signing of a MoU with the Projects Support Fund at the Ministry of Finance to enhance mutual cooperation in the field of partnerships with the private sector.

The memorandum gives the private sector the opportunity to invest in development projects in the sectors covered by the fund, namely education, health care and real estate development.

The governor of the Real Estate General Authority, Ihsan Bafakih, said on Thursday that the MoU reflected the Authority’s approach towards enhancing integration and partnership between all components of the government system in order to achieve the desired goals.

According to Bafakih, the Authority and the Fund seek, through the MoU, to achieve several goals, including contributing to financing real estate development projects, such as buildings and integrated service projects, in accordance with the financing policies approved by the Fund, in addition to qualifying private sector institutions and introducing them to the financial and technical requirements and providing an favorable environment to attract various qualitative investments.

On a different note, the National Debt Management Center at the Ministry of Finance (NDMC) signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI). The agreement was signed by Fahad Al-Saif, Chief Executive Officer of the NDMC, and Atsuo Kuroda, Chairman and CEO of NEXI.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, who is also the chairman of the NDMC’s Board of Directors, said that the signing of the Memorandum came in parallel with the fifth Saudi-Japan Vision 2030 Ministerial Meeting and aimed to expand the opportunities of financing government projects implemented by Japanese companies in the Kingdom.



Oil Prices Set to End Week Higher after US Rate Cut

The US last week announced a 10-nation coalition to counter the attacks in the Red Sea. - File Photo
The US last week announced a 10-nation coalition to counter the attacks in the Red Sea. - File Photo
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Oil Prices Set to End Week Higher after US Rate Cut

The US last week announced a 10-nation coalition to counter the attacks in the Red Sea. - File Photo
The US last week announced a 10-nation coalition to counter the attacks in the Red Sea. - File Photo

Oil prices eased on Friday, but were on track to register gains for a second straight week following a large cut in US interest rates and declining global stockpiles, Reuters reported.

Brent futures were down 50 cents, or 0.67%, at $74.38 a barrel at 1004 GMT while US WTI crude futures fell 48 cents, or 0.65%, at $71.47.

Still, both benchmarks were up 3.7% and 4% respectively on the week.

Prices have been recovering after Brent fell below $69 for the first time in nearly three years on Sept. 10.

"US interest cuts have supported risk sentiment, weakened the dollar and supported crude this week," UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said.

"However, it takes time until rate cuts support economic activity and oil demand growth," he added, regarding crude's more muted performance so far on Friday.

Prices rose more than 1% on Thursday following the US central bank's decision to cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday.

Interest rate cuts typically boost economic activity and energy demand, but some also see it as a sign of a weak US labor market.

The Fed also projected a further half-point rate cut by year-end, a full point next year and a half-point trim in 2026.

"Easing monetary policy helped reinforce expectations that the US economy will avoid a downturn," ANZ Research analysts said.

Also supporting prices were a decline in US crude inventories, which fell to a one-year low last week.

A counter-seasonal oil market deficit of around 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) will support Brent crude prices in the $70 to $75 a barrel range during the next quarter, Citi analysts said on Thursday, but added prices could plunge in 2025.

Crude prices were also being supported by rising tensions in the Middle East. Walkie-talkies used by Lebanese armed group Hezbollah exploded on Wednesday following similar explosions of pagers the previous day.

Security sources have said the Israeli spy agency Mossad was responsible, but Israeli officials have not commented on the attacks.

China's slowing economy also weighed on market sentiment, with refinery output in China slowing for a fifth month in August and industrial output growth hitting a five-month low.