Business of Sport Saudi PIF ups stake in Newcastle United to 85% Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund – the Public Investment Fund (PIF) – has increased its stake in Newcastle United football club to 85 percent from 80 percent. PIF and RB Sports & Media, the sporting arm of the UK-based Reuben Brothers, will together acquire PCP Capital Partners’ shareholding in the club, the stake co-owned by […] July 15, 2024
Oil & Gas $3bn new funding to propel PIF-backed Ades expansion Saudi oil and gas driller Ades Holding has secured an additional $3 billion from local and regional banks to support potential acquisitions and organic growth. The Public Investment Fund (PIF)-backed company has upsized its existing syndicate facility through a standby term tranche of $2.7 billion and a revolving credit facility tranche of $300 million. The standby […] July 15, 2024
Analysis Business of Sport Saudi football spending tipped to tumble as economy falters Saudi Arabia’s domestic football ambitions may have to take a back seat this year as the kingdom focuses on funding its $1.25 trillion giga-projects programme, according to analysts. Last summer Saudi Pro League clubs spent close to $1 billion signing the likes of Neymar, Ruben Neves and N’Golo Kante. This year’s transfer window is expected […] July 14, 2024
Trade Thailand opens investment office in Saudi Arabia Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) is opening its first Middle East office in Saudi Arabia, signaling a deepening of economic ties between the nations after a longstanding diplomatic spat. The office will focus on attracting Saudi investment into Thailand’s targeted industries and supporting Thai entrepreneurs looking to invest in the region, the BOI said in […] July 12, 2024
Tourism Saudia reports big rise in international passengers Saudi Arabia’s national carrier Saudia reported a 24 percent increase in international passengers to 9.1 million in the first half of 2024. There was also a 13 percent rise in the number of flights. The Hajj pilgrimage in June played a large part in the growth. The number of passengers flying on domestic routes rose […] July 12, 2024
Giga-projects AlUla plans Nabataean resort carved into Saudi mountains Saudi Arabia is spending around $15 billion on the ancient site of AlUla, including a resort for the super-rich chiselled into the face of its rock formations and mountains. AlUla is the site of the pre-Islamic Nabataean kingdom that was based in Jordan’s Petra. The resort, called Sharaan, will include 38 suites “carved into sandstone […] July 11, 2024
Opinion Renewable Energy Despite EVs, the ICE Age will last longer than expected Transition to electric transport will be slow and evolutionary July 11, 2024
Real Estate Sports and entertainment to push up Riyadh retail rents The sports and entertainment sectors will be key drivers in Riyadh retail rents rising by 28 percent by 2026, according to new research, with rates already up 3 percent in the past year. “The total existing retail supply in Riyadh stands at 3.6 million square metres, with around 27,050 square metres of retail space entering […] July 11, 2024
Giga-projects Saudi-Chinese partnership wins $2bn Diriyah deal Work will begin on a new mixed district at the Saudi giga-project Diriyah in the third quarter of 2024 after a SAR7.8 billion ($2 billion) construction contract, the largest yet, was awarded to a Chinese-Saudi partnership. Saudi contractor El Seif Engineering and China State Construction Engineering will build the district, which will contain educational institutions, […] July 11, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia to build world’s tallest sports tower A design for the world’s tallest sports tower, to be built in Riyadh’s Sports Boulevard development, has been approved. The mega project is part of the $23 billion development launched by King Salman in 2019 to expand green areas in the capital, including the world’s biggest city park. The other three projects are King Salman […] July 11, 2024
Oil & Gas Aramco returns to debt markets after shares sale Saudi Aramco returned to the debt market on Wednesday, offering bonds maturing in 10, 30 and 40 years and aiming to raise at least $6 billion. The company is looking to capitalise on investors’ interest in its secondary share offering by raising more cash to finance its debt and a huge investment programme. Final terms […] July 10, 2024
Finance Expat remittances from Saudi rise 12% to $3.4bn Expat remittance from Saudi Arabia jumped by 12 percent year on year to SAR12.6 billion ($3.4 billion) in May, according to the Saudi Central Bank (Sama). Remittances rose 11 percent month on month, or SAR1.3 billion, in May, the central bank said. Globally, remittances to low- and middle-income countries grew by an estimated 3.8 percent […] July 10, 2024
Aviation Riyadh Air and Delta strike pact to expand network Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, has struck an agreement with US carrier Delta Air Lines before its planned launch next year. The partnership will open new destinations in the kingdom and beyond for Delta flyers, including a future nonstop service on Delta between the US and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. The […] July 10, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Google to fund AI research at Saudi university Kaust Google is providing research grants into artificial intelligence at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust). The $100,000 grants will boost recognised Kaust researchers doing work in multilingual and multimodal machine learning, and the development of large language models. The academic staff will be associated with its new Centre of Excellence on Generative […] July 9, 2024
Finance Aramco to issue new bonds after $11bn share sale Saudi Aramco has appointed regional and global bankers for a new bond sale just a month after raising more than $11 billion from a secondary share offering. The oil giant, listed on the Saudi stock exchange, will issue senior unsecured US dollar-denominated bonds. The fund will aid in its general corporate purposes or any other […] July 9, 2024
Transport Saudi-backed Lucid EV makes more cars but lags target Saudi-backed US electric vehicle maker Lucid has increased Q2 production by 22 percent but still looks likely to miss its annual targets. Some 2,110 vehicles were produced, compared to 1,728 in the previous quarter. However, the company’s annual target is 9,000 units. The company also received a setback when the US National Highway Traffic Safety […] July 9, 2024
Artificial Intelligence Saudi companies form AI cloud services partnership The Saudi IT company Al Moammar Information Systems, an investor in the US artificial intelligence (AI) research company OpenAI, has formed a partnership with the investment banker Saudi Fransi Capital to look into launching cloud services for the kingdom’s AI market. Al Moammar will “recommend an optimal business model considering demand, regulations, and technology, assess […] July 8, 2024
Analysis Giga-projects Chinese builders pitch modular tech for giga-projects Chinese contractors are leveraging their size and access to innovative construction techniques to lay claim to increasing numbers of projects in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom’s massive development push puts pressure on resources. Some $1.25 trillion in giga-projects, spanning the residential, commercial and hospitality sectors, are in the pipeline across the vast and arid Saudi […] July 8, 2024
Infrastructure Saudi telco STC ends talks to buy Altice Portugal Saudi telecom group STC has ended talks with French-Israeli tycoon Patrick Drahi to buy Altice Portugal after a disagreement over the price. The Public Investment Fund-owned company, which is listed on the Saudi stock market, had offered 8 billion euros ($8.67 billion) for Altice Portugal, the European country’s largest telecommunications player, Portuguese online business site […] July 8, 2024
Opinion Trade UK election is a quaint reminder of how democracy can work Starmer will not want to upset investment flows from the Gulf July 8, 2024
