Yemeni Attacks and Phone Alerts Disrupt Riyadh Economic Forum
Early warning alerts sent to mobile phones during a speech by Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi at the Riyadh Economic Forum have raised questions about how military escalation and Yemeni attacks affect the security situation in the Saudi capital, at a time when Riyadh is trying to position itself as a global hub for trade and investment.
According to Ambassador Arjan, at the same time as the tensions and modem attacks that have targeted the heart of Saudi Arabia, the videos that are circulating online show the moment when the alarm sounded on the mobile phones inside the assembly hall, which disrupted the economic event and brought the issue of security risks to the forefront again.
The strike at an economic event in the capital reflects one aspect of the security challenges facing Saudi Arabia amid escalating tensions over its war in Yemen, raising questions about the impact on Riyadh's image as a safe destination for hosting international conferences and attracting investment.
These developments coincide with reports of the consequences of flight disruptions on executives' participation in international economic events hosted by Riyadh.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported that several top executives of global oil companies had changed their plans to attend the World Petroleum Council conference in the Saudi capital.
These developments will test Riyadh's ambitions to turn the capital into a global financial and economic hub and reveal the ability of the Saudi authorities to contain the consequences of the escalation of the security situation and ensure the smooth flow of travel and the continuation of international events.
Saudi Energy Minister: We are looking to increase the oil export capacity through pipelines to 10 million barrels
Meanwhile, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Monday that the country plans to increase its crude oil export capacity through pipelines to a maximum of 10 million barrels per day by repurposing a domestic gas pipeline and investing in its existing network that connects the east and west of the country.
Reuters claimed that Saudi Arabia could add up to 1.2 million barrels per day to its oil export capacity within seven to eight weeks by temporarily converting a gas pipeline to carry crude oil.
Prince Abdulaziz stated at the International Energy Forum in Riyadh that through further investment, up to 3 million barrels per day could be added to the total production capacity.
The energy minister said he has informed Saudi Aramco that it can use the pipeline to transport oil until May, after which the pipeline must be cleaned and returned to service before the summer season.
He explained that upgrading the East-West pipeline pumping stations, along with other infrastructure projects, could help increase Saudi Arabia's capacity to transport cargo from its main sea routes in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea to approximately 10 million barrels per day in the next two to three years.
On the other hand, Patrick Pouyan, CEO of Total Energy, emphasized that the Sathorp refinery in Saudi Arabia, which is jointly owned by this French group and Saudi Aramco and was damaged by drone attacks in April, has been operating at full capacity since early October.
According to the Al-Nashrah report, Pouyan said: "We managed to get it back on the production line quickly and the teams did a great job."
The activities of this facility were stopped after the attacks on the 7th of April that damaged a part of this factory located in the city of Jubeil on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
The refinery later resumed limited operations in mid-April.
Pouyan said on June 17: Our refinery in Saudi Arabia was targeted by three drone attacks and currently operates with only 70% of its staff.