KUWAIT: If an agreed cut in oil output by 1.2 million barrels per day is not enough to balance the market, OPEC and allied producers will hold an extraordinary meeting and do what is necessary, the United Arab Emirates energy minister said on Sunday.
Extending the output agreement signed in early December will not be a problem and producers will do as the market demands, Suhail Al-Mazrouei told a news conference at a gathering of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries in Kuwait.
“What if the 1.2 million barrels of cuts are not enough? I am telling you that if it is not, we will meet and see what is enough and we will do it,” Mazrouei said.
“The plan (to cut oil production) is well studied but if it does not work, we always have the power in OPEC to call for an extraordinary meeting,” he added.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its Russia-led allies agreed this month to slash oil production by more than the market had expected.
Still, oil prices fell on Friday to their lowest since the third quarter of 2017 as global oversupply kept buyers away from the market ahead of holidays over the next two weeks.
The Emirati minister said a joint OPEC/non-OPEC monitoring committee would meet in Baku at the end of February or the beginning of March, as producers aim to return the oil market to the balance reached in the summer of 2018.
Mazrouei was speaking at a news conference with Saudi Arabia’s OPEC governor, Adeeb Al-Aama, and Iraqi Oil Minister Thamir Ghadhban.
Aama said oil market oversupply had fallen to 37 million barrels of crude in November from 340 million barrels in January 2017, when OPEC and its allies began cutting production in an attempt to lift the price of crude.
Ghadhban said he agreed with the Saudi energy minister’s expectation that the decision would be renewed, adding that Iraq would be willing to extend the production agreement in April. OPEC holds its next full meeting that month in Vienna.
“We would be watching the prices and how they react over time,” Ghadhban said.
UAE: oil producers to have extra meeting if output cuts “not enough”
UAE: oil producers to have extra meeting if output cuts “not enough”
- OPEC and its Russia-led allies agreed this month to slash oil production by more than the market had expected
- Extending the output agreement signed in early December will not be a problem and producers will do as the market demands
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes higher at 10,596
RIYADH: Saudi equities closed higher on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index rising 43.59 points, or 0.41 percent, to finish at 10,595.85, supported by broad-based buying and strength in select mid-cap stocks.
Market breadth was firmly positive, with 170 stocks advancing against 90 decliners, while trading activity saw 161.96 million shares change hands, generating a total value of SR3.39 billion.
Meanwhile, the MT30 Index closed higher, gaining 6.52 points, or 0.47 percent, to 1,399.11, while the Nomu Parallel Market Index edged marginally lower, slipping 3.33 points, or 0.01 percent, to 23,267.77.
Among the session’s top gainers, Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. surged 9.99 percent to close at SR26.20, while Saudi Cable Co. jumped 9.98 percent to SR147.70.
Cherry Trading Co. rose 4.18 percent to SR25.44, and United Carton Industries Co. advanced 4.09 percent to SR26.46.
Al Yamamah Steel Industries Co. also posted solid gains, climbing 4.07 percent to end at SR32.70.
On the downside, Emaar The Economic City led losses, slipping 3.55 percent to SR10.32, followed by Derayah REIT Fund, which fell 2.92 percent to SR5.31.
Derayah Financial Co. declined 2.13 percent to SR26.62, while United International Holding Co. retreated 1.96 percent to SR155.20, and Gulf Union Alahlia Cooperative Insurance Co. eased 1.92 percent to SR10.70.
On the announcements front, Red Sea International Co. said it signed a SR202.8 million contract with Webuild S.P.A. to provide integrated facilities management services for the Trojena project at Neom.
The agreement covers operations and maintenance for the project’s Main Camp and Spike Camp, including accommodation and housekeeping, catering, security, IT and communications, utilities, waste management, fire safety and emergency response, as well as other supporting services.
The contract runs for two years, with the financial impact expected to begin in the first quarter of 2026. Shares of Red Sea International closed up 0.99 percent at SR34.74.
Al Moammar Information Systems Co. disclosed that it received an award notification from Humain to design and build a data center dedicated to artificial intelligence technologies, with a total value exceeding 155 percent of the company’s 2024 revenue, inclusive of VAT.
The contract is expected to be formally signed in February 2026, underscoring the scale of the project and its potential impact on the company’s future revenues.
MIS shares ended the session 2.82 percent higher at SR156.70, reflecting positive investor sentiment following the announcement.
