Saudi Minister of Finance Dr Ibrahim Al-Assaf said that the economic policies followed by the government last year led to a low rate of inflation and surpluses in the country’s foreign account and general budget.
In an address at a meeting of the International Monetary Committee, an affiliate of the World Bank, which began deliberations in Washington yesterday, Dr Al-Assaf spoke on the Saudi economy, the economy of the region and the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the Gulf and Arab world.
Dr Al-Assaf, head of the Kingdom’s delegation to the meeting, said that Saudi Arabia’s strong economic situation has enabled its private sector to play a pioneering role in the process of diversifying the country’s economic base. “The horizons of the Saudi economy are promising,” he added.
Dr Al-Assaf spoke about the Kingdom’s role in regional and international arenas, and the efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).
He noted that the huge global demand for oil and other factors, such as tension in some oil producing countries, have impacted oil prices. He stressed the importance of cooperation among oil producer and consumer countries to maintain the stability of oil prices under the auspices of the Riyadh-based World Energy Forum. “In order to bring stability to the global economy, particularly the economies of developing countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recently decided to raise its oil production capacity,” he added.
Source: SPA
