DAMMAM / AGENCIES Saudi Aramco signed on Wednesday agreements with foreign and local companies worth at least 39 billion riyals ($10.4 billion). The bulk of the memorandum of understanding agreements were part of a drive to promote local manufacturing, the company said. One agreement was also signed with drilling and oil service company Schlumberger worth 6 billion riyals. Meanwhile, the …

DAMMAM / Reuters Saudi Arabia will establish an export bank with capital of $8 billion to support overseas sales by its industrial and mining projects, energy, industry and mineral resources minister Khalid al-Falih said on Wednesday. “A bank for exports with a capital of 30 billion (riyals) will be established to encourage and support exports, and 5 billion riyals have …

Bloomberg Natural gas flows resumed overnight in Europe after an explosion at an Austrian hub threatened supplies already pinched by a closed pipeline in the North Sea and a cold snap across the continent. Oil company OMV AG, which controls the Baumgarten gas hub, managed to divert international transit flows and restored supplies to Italy, Germany and Hungary before midnight, …