Sudan’s Treasury Risks Losing $2 Billion in Gold Revenues

The battles paralyze the commercial sector in Khartoum. (Reuters)
The battles paralyze the commercial sector in Khartoum. (Reuters)
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Sudan’s Treasury Risks Losing $2 Billion in Gold Revenues

The battles paralyze the commercial sector in Khartoum. (Reuters)
The battles paralyze the commercial sector in Khartoum. (Reuters)

Sudanese economists have warned that the prolongation of the war will afflict the Sudanese economy with huge losses and increase the average inflation rate, which has already reached 600 percent.

Sudanese Economist Dr. Muhammad Al-Nayer estimated that the suspension of operations at the Khartoum airport to have disrupted 5 percent of the total Sudanese exports and imports, which amount to a total of $15 billion. He added that the Sudanese treasury lost $2 billion of gold exports.

In terms of the volume of commercial losses, Al-Nayer estimated that those will amount to $15 billion, on the basis of $11 billion in imports and more than $4 billion in exports.

“If the war extends, spreads and widens, the gross domestic reserve will certainly be affected, inflation will worsen, and the price of the Sudanese currency will collapse,” he warned.

As for other indicators, according to Al-Nayer, Sudan “suffers from a high poverty rate that exceeds 60 percent, and a high unemployment rate that surpasses 40 percent.”

With regards to the revenues of the state treasury in the central government in Khartoum, the expert confirmed that it “has been affected since the outbreak of the ongoing skirmishes, and has even stopped operating completely”, unlike the situation in other states that have not yet been affected by the war.

For her part, Economist Somaya Sayed noted that the Sudanese economy has been witnessing a remarkable deterioration for years, which, in her opinion, was “one of the reasons for the fall of the former regime.”

This collapse continued even after the December Revolution due to the failure of the transitional government to achieve political and economic stability and to adopt policies that stimulate local production.

Sayed stressed, in comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, that neglecting the country’s resources and searching for external support has led to further economic decline,” expecting the recent outbreak to lead to a complete collapse that may have catastrophic consequences on the overall economic and living conditions.”



Albudaiwi: Advantage Oman Forum Offers Valuable Investment Insights

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
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Albudaiwi: Advantage Oman Forum Offers Valuable Investment Insights

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Albudaiwi

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said that the Advantage Oman Forum is a valuable opportunity offered by Oman to discuss and review investment opportunities and initiatives, as well as future transformations in promising sectors in this field.
This came during Albudaiwi's participation in the first edition of the Advantage Oman Forum, which was held under the patronage and attendance of Omani Deputy Prime Minister for Defense Affairs Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, and in the presence of a number of ministers of the GCC countries, Sunday in Muscat. A group of senior officials and decision-makers participated in the forum, SPA reported.
The Secretary-General stated that Oman's Organisation of this forum reflects the insightful vision of the wise Omani leadership to strengthen the national economy and attract global investments, thus contributing to achieving sustainable development goals. He also praised the forum's activities and the workshops as well as the dialogue sessions it included, which provide the elements of success and sustainability for this forum, making it a regional and international platform and a destination for those interested in economic and investment affairs in Oman.
Furthermore, Albudaiwi added that Oman, with its attractive investment environment, advanced infrastructure, well-thought-out economic policies and significant economic, in addition to investment growth indicators, has become a destination for investors from around the world, stressing that this strengthens its position as a key pillar in the economies of the GCC countries and supports the council's aspirations for regional economic integration.
The Secretary-General concluded his statement by expressing his confidence that the forum will achieve positive results that will contribute to expanding the horizons of economic and investment cooperation between the GCC countries and the world, and support the comprehensive development process in the region.