AEO, OPEC Secretary Generals Review Means to Expand Cooperation
Secretary General of the Arab Energy Organization (AEO) Jamal Al-Loghani on Sunday discussed with OPEC Secretary General Haitham Al-Ghais ways to strengthen cooperation between both organizations.
AEO, formerly known as the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), told KUNA that Al-Loghani also reviewed with Al-Ghais the prospects of boosting joint action in light of the organization's new strategic orientation, which aims at upgrading its activities to keep pace with global energy shifts.
Al-Loghani affirmed that AEO seeks to act as a pan-Arab energy organization primarily focused on oil and gas while expanding to wider energy domains, as Al-Ghais praised the reform steps and affirmed OPEC's readiness to support all efforts toward this transformation.
11/11/2025
Yalla Group to Open Regional HQ in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s push to attract global technology and gaming firms gained momentum as Yalla Group Ltd. said it will establish its regional headquarters in Riyadh. The new office, slated to open in the first half of 2026 at Roshn Front, will anchor Yalla’s operations in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC, the company said in a statement.
The announcement follows a meeting in Beijing between Yalla’s leadership and Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud, chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation and the Arab Esports Federation.
The facility is expected to strengthen Yalla Group’s presence in Saudi Arabia and leverage the Kingdom’s growing digital and entertainment ecosystem.
The move comes as Riyadh accelerates efforts to attract multinational firms through its regional headquarters program, which offers tax incentives and procurement advantages. More than 780 companies have received licenses to relocate their regional bases to the Saudi capital, Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said at the Future Investment Initiative in October.
Quoting Prince Faisal, the press release stated that “Yalla Group’s decision to base its regional head office in Riyadh underscores international confidence in the Kingdom’s expanding digital economy and its robust ecosystem for creative industries.”
He added that the move would broaden the Kingdom’s gaming landscape, create new opportunities for Saudi talent, and support the goals of Vision 2030, which aims to position Saudi Arabia as a regional leader in digital entertainment and technology.
The new headquarters will serve as a central hub for managing Yalla’s operations and partnerships across Saudi Arabia and beyond. It will also enable the company to forge closer ties with local stakeholders, develop localized gaming content, and foster collaboration across the Kingdom’s entertainment ecosystem.
Saifi Ismail, president of Yalla Group and CEO of the Riyadh regional headquarters, said: “The opening of our new headquarters in Riyadh marks a strategic milestone in Yalla Group’s expansion plans in the Saudi market. It demonstrates our commitment to contributing to the development of the Kingdom’s advanced digital landscape.”
He added: “Our new office will serve as the core from which we will manage our operations across Saudi Arabia, enabling us to forge stronger partnerships and drive growth within an integrated technology ecosystem that fosters innovation.”
11/11/2025
Iran Reports Sharp Rise in Household Gas Consumption
Iran is experiencing a major rise in daily gas consumption as more households and businesses turn up their heating to cope with an early cold spell. Figures released on Sunday by the Iranian Oil Ministry’s news service Shana showed that the country’s gas use had reached 695.9 million cubic meters (mcm) per day on Friday. The figures showed that households and businesses were responsible for more than 54% of the total gas consumption in Iran.
The local branch of the National Iranian Gas Company in Tehran province, which includes the capital, said on Sunday that gas use in the province had hit 57 million cubic meters in the past 24 hours, up 67% from the same period last week. The figures come amid a sharp drop in temperatures in Tehran and other cities in Iran.
However, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), which controls the country’s gas fields in the south, said it is fully prepared to cope with a sudden rise in demand for natural gas. NIOC's CEO Hamid Bovard was in the gas production hub of Assaluyeh, in southern Iran, on Sunday to assess the readiness of refineries and transmission facilities for the winter season. “Thanks to the planning we’ve done based on last year’s experience, we’re entering this winter with better preparation and coordination,” Bovard said.
The official, who also serves as a deputy oil minister, said that Iran's improved management of gas demand would allow it to ease some of the restrictions typically imposed on industries during the colder months.
Iran is the world's fourth-largest consumer of natural gas, after the US, Russia, and China, with a peak demand that reaches nearly 900 million cubic meters per day on some cold winter days. NIGC figures show household demand for gas reached peaks of nearly 600 million mcm last year. - Press TV
11/11/2025