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Pakistan, Saudi Arabia sign MoUs valuing $2.2bn in multiple sectors

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed 27 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth $2.2 billion in various sectors on Thursday. Last night, a high-powered Saudi delegation led by its Minister for Investment Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Faleh arrived in Islamabad on a three-day official visit. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Al Faleh and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir witnessed th

Saudi firm to buy stake in Reko Diq in coming weeks, says kingdom’s investment minister

Saudi Minister for Investment Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz Al Faleh on Thursday confirmed that the kingdom’s Manara Minerals was set to buy a stake in Barrick Gold’s Reko Diq gold and copper mine in the coming weeks. Barrick Gold owns a 50 per cent stake in Pakistan’s Reko Diq mine, with the remaining 50pc owned by the governments of Pakistan and the province of Balochistan. Barrick consider

Oil jumps 4pc on US storm

Oil prices jumped about 4 per cent on Thursday on a spike in US fuel use before Hurricane Milton barrelled across Florida, Middle East supply risks and signs that demand for energy could grow in the US and China. Brent futures rose $2.87, or 3.8pc, to $79.45 a barrel by 1:24 p.m. EDT (1724 GMT), while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $2.75, or 3.8pc, to $75.99. In the US, the worl

SBP reserves rise

The fore­ign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) increased by $106 million to $10.808 billion during the week ending Oct 4, hitting a three-year high, said a press release issued by the central bank on Thursday. The government aims to boost the SBP forex holdings to $13bn by the end of FY25. The reserves of the SBP reached double digits after receiving the first tranche o

Auto sector posts robust sales, except tractors

Barring the massive drop in tractor sales by 57 per cent to 5,206 units mainly due to sales tax hike, 1QFY25 proved highly satisfactory for the entire auto sector, reflecting a jump of 19-75pc compared to the same period last fiscal year. As per data of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association, car sales surged by 25pc to 20,068 units during July-Sept FY25 from 16,021 units in the same per