Saudi Arabia Partners with Local, Global Firms to Market Investments

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Partners with Local, Global Firms to Market Investments

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi government has granted the new Investment Marketing Authority the authorization to enlist experts and specialists from both local and global companies and institutions.

This move aims to provide professional tools and products, leveraging their expertise in their respective fields. Additionally, it seeks to foster partnerships that align with development goals between local and foreign investors.

Last week, the Cabinet approved the regulation of the Saudi Investment Marketing Authority.

This decision is part of efforts to position the Kingdom as a world-class investment hub in line with the goals of Vision 2030, which seeks to diversify the economy, enhance its international competitiveness, and build a prosperous and sustainable economy in alignment with the National Investment Strategy’s plans and objectives.

According to sources, the Board of Directors of the Saudi Investment Marketing Authority will exercise its role in determining financial charges in coordination with the Ministry of Finance and the Non-Oil Revenue Development Center.

This will remain in effect until the issuance of governance regulations for imposing such fees for services and activities offered by entities authorized by law to levy them.

The authority will prepare general policies related to its activities, develop a strategy for investment marketing, and devise the necessary plans and programs for implementation. It will also raise issues requiring further procedural actions.

The authority will begin work on marketing investment opportunities both within the Kingdom and internationally, highlighting the advantages, opportunities, and incentives of local investments. The authority is empowered to delegate tasks related to investment marketing to the relevant entities.

Additionally, the authority will manage a unified national identity for investment marketing and attraction to Saudi Arabia, in coordination with the Ministry of Investment and other relevant bodies. This will ensure consistent messaging, marketing, and media efforts, and propose amendments to relevant regulations within its mandate, submitting them for legal processing.

Among its duties, the new authority will propose amendments to related regulations, support investment marketing activities carried out by ministries, relevant entities, and the private sector, and develop and implement media plans both domestically and internationally.

Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih said that the authority will contribute to stimulating foreign direct investment flows. He said it will work as an important tributary enhancing the national efforts made to support the investment environment.

“The authority will undertake the task of marketing investment opportunities inside and outside the Kingdom and in various sectors, in cooperation and partnership with all the leading entities in these sectors. The authority will adopt the latest technologies and strategies in the field of investment marketing,” he said.

Al-Falih stressed that the authority will contribute to stimulating foreign direct investment flows, as well as to enhance national investments, and support national investors.

“This will support economic growth, provide quality job opportunities, and enhance innovation and knowledge transfer, which will positively reflect on the sustainability of development in the Kingdom and the competitiveness of its economy,” he said.



Mawani, Arabian Chemical Terminals Sign Land Lease for Jubail Port Storage Tanks

Mawani, Arabian Chemical Terminals Sign Land Lease for Jubail Port Storage Tanks
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Mawani, Arabian Chemical Terminals Sign Land Lease for Jubail Port Storage Tanks

Mawani, Arabian Chemical Terminals Sign Land Lease for Jubail Port Storage Tanks

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) signed a contract with Arabian Chemical Terminals Ltd. to establish storage tanks for chemical and petrochemical materials at Jubail Commercial Port, with an investment exceeding SAR500 million on an area of 49,000 square meters.

The project will contribute to enhancing operational efficiency and increasing handling capacity in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub, SPA reported.

This step is part of Mawani’s efforts to strengthen the role of the private sector in supporting the gross domestic product and to reinforce the position of Jubail Commercial Port as a driver of commercial activity. The project’s storage capacity will reach 70,000 cubic tons, boosting the competitiveness of the Kingdom’s ports at both regional and international levels.

The project aims to develop and expand storage capacity and the export of chemical and petrochemical materials in accordance with the highest international standards while supporting supply chains. It includes the establishment and development of specialized facilities for storing and exporting chemical and petrochemical products, as well as the provision of storage and distribution services for local and international import and export of chemicals in line with global quality and safety standards.

The project will contribute to supporting national supply chains, boosting the Kingdom’s chemical logistics capabilities, and raising operational efficiency and capacity, thereby improving customer competitiveness. It also supports the achievement of Saudi Vision 2030 objectives by promoting the development of infrastructure to advance the energy, industry, and supply chain sectors in the Kingdom.


Oil Prices Stable as Investors Seek Clarity on Russia-Ukraine Talks

A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel
A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel
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Oil Prices Stable as Investors Seek Clarity on Russia-Ukraine Talks

A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel
A view shows the crude oil terminal Kozmino on the shore of Nakhodka Bay near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Tatiana Meel

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors took stock of ​dented hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East around Yemen, Reuters reported.

Brent crude futures for February delivery, which expire on Tuesday, were up 15 cents at $62.09 a barrel as of 0918 GMT. The more active March contract was at $61.61, up 12 cents.

US West Texas Intermediate ‌crude gained 14 ‌cents to $58.22.

The Brent and ‌WTI ⁠benchmarks ​settled ‌more than 2% higher in the previous session as Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen and after Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting Putin's residence, denting hopes of a peace deal.

Kyiv dismissed Moscow's accusation as baseless and designed to undermine peace negotiations. After a phone call ⁠with Putin, US President Donald Trump said he was angered by details ‌of the alleged attack.

"I think the ‍markets are sensing that ‍a deal is going to be very hard ‍to come by," said Marex analyst Ed Meir.

Traders also watched other Middle East developments after Trump said the United States could support another major strike on Iran were Tehran to resume rebuilding its ballistic missile or nuclear weapons programs.

Despite renewed fears of potential supply disruptions, perceptions of an oversupplied global market remain and could cap prices, analysts say.

Marex's Meir said prices would trend downwards in the first quarter of 2026 due to ‌a "growing oil glut".


Meta Buys China-founded AI Agent Manus

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo/File Photo
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Meta Buys China-founded AI Agent Manus

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Meta is seen at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 11, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo/File Photo

Facebook owner Meta has agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded in China but now based in Singapore, the two firms said.

However, analysts warned the deal could fall foul of regulators at a time of fierce technological rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

Exceeding the capabilities of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, AI agents can autonomously perform complex tasks for users, and are seen as having huge potential.

Manus, created by startup Butterfly Effect, can for example sift through and summarize resumes or create a stock analysis website, according to its website.

Meta said Monday that the deal -- the financial details of which were not disclosed -- will "bring a leading agent to billions of people and unlock opportunities for businesses across our products".

"The era of AI that doesn't just talk, but acts, creates, and delivers, is only beginning," Manus chief executive Xiao Hong said on X.

"And now (with Meta), we get to build it at a scale we never could have imagined."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is making a huge push into AI, spending billions of dollars on acquisitions, hiring engineers and building data centers.

Bloomberg Intelligence analysts said the purchase is likely aimed at expanding Meta's AI agent task capabilities, and that it could be worth more than $2 billion.

However, "it could draw regulatory scrutiny given that Singapore-based Manus was founded in China", the analysts said.