Good morning. The Ramadan slowdown went into full effect this morning as we enter the fourth day of the holy month. While we wait for Aramco’s earnings announcement, we delve into the latest Markaz data on GCC issuances in 2024 (spoiler: Saudi Arabia dominates). We also unpack Tadawul’s performance numbers in February, and a report from Deloitte on our growing real estate sector. Let’s dive in.

When do we eat? Maghrib is at 5:57pm today in Riyadh. You’ll have until fajr prayers at 4:54am tomorrow to finish your sohour.

⚠️WEATHER- A chance of medium to heavy thunderstorms across most areas of the Kingdom until Thursday, including Madinah, Makkah, Jeddah, Al Taif, and Riyadh.

  • Riyadh: 21°C daytime / 8°C overnight
  • Makkah: 36°C daytime / 20°C overnight
  • Madinah: 30°C daytime / 10°C overnight

HAPPENING TODAY-

Aramco is set to release its 2024 financial results today, according to its website. You can tune into the audio webcast of its earnings call here. Analysts expect Aramco’s income to fall 8% y-o-y, along with an 11% y-o-y drop in revenues, with Aramco expected to carry on its “clear downward trend” as a result of current oil prices.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

HKC Ceramics to debut on Nomu tomorrow: Shares of Local marble and porcelain supplier HKC Ceramics (Hedab Alkhaleej Trading Company) will begin trading on the Nomu parallel market tomorrow, according to a Tadawul statement. The company’s shares will be allowed to fluctuate within a 30% band on the first three days of trading, after which price fluctuations will be capped at 10% as circuit breakers take effect.

REFRESHER- HKC took a 10.67% stake to market in a primary offering limited to qualified institutional investors, in a bid to finance its expansion plans and reduce its existing liabilities. The company priced its IPO at SAR 52 per share — the top of the range it was guiding on — after its Nomu offering closed 1.7x covered. The final price saw the company raise some SAR 41.6 mn in IPO proceeds, giving it a market cap of SAR 390 mn at listing.

The five-day retail bookbuilding period for Umm Al Qura Development and Construction’s Tadawul IPO will kick off tomorrow, 5 March to run until next Sunday, 9 March. Retail investors can subscribe to up to 2.5 mn shares with a minimum of 10 shares each. The final decision is set for Thursday, 13 March, with 13.08 mn shares reserved for retail investors.

PSAs-

Foreign trucks must secure the required local permits to transport goods within Saudi Arabia, the Transport General Authority said in a post on X. Failing to adhere to this will subject companies or individuals contracting the trucks to fines ranging from SAR 10k to SAR 5 mn. Additional penalties include temporary truck seizure, deportation of non-Saudi drivers operating without a license, and truck confiscation for repeat offenses. The decision came after last week’s cabinet approval.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Diriyah, Starbucks, and Alshaya in talks for flagship store: PIF’s Diriyah Company, Kuwait-born Alshaya Group, and Starbucks’ CEOs met to discuss a potential retail partnership in Diriyah square, including plans for a flagship Starbucks store within the 566k sqm open-air mixed-use development, according to a post on LinkedIn.

ICYMI- A potential IPO? Diriyah’s CEO Jerry Inzerillo hinted at a potential future public listing for Diriyah, citing strong investor interest and solid returns. This came after Diriyah’s USD 64 bn development saw its early residential sales reach SAR 13-14 bn in deposits, largely driven by luxury property sales.

PwC is taking steps to smooth over tensions with Saudi Arabia and the PIF, with the consulting firm informing employees in an internal memo that the situation pertains to a “client” matter rather than a regulatory issue, Reuters reports citing two sources it said are in the know. The suspension applies only to engagements between PwC and the PIF’s holding company, while portfolio companies can still work with the firm, another source added.

IN CONTEXT- PwC was reportedly barred from securing advisory and consulting contracts from the fund and its subsidiaries until February 2026, two years after setting up its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, where it employs over 2k people. The Kingdom’s consulting market, the region’s largest, was valued at USD 3.2 bn in 2023, up 18.2% from 2022.

Local restaurant manager and PoS solutions provider Foodics plans to invest USD 100 mn in restaurant tech, focusing on fintech and AI solutions for restaurants, CEO Ahmad AlZaini told Al Arabiya. The company holds over 30% of the Saudi market in restaurant tech, serving a sector that grows 5% annually.

ICYMI- Foodics fully acquired UK-based online ordering solutions provider Solo Venture and invested in three startups last month.

Huajin Aramco project nears completion: The Huajin Aramco Petrochemical Company’s USD 11.5 mn petrochemical project in China’s Panjin is 60% complete, with mechanical work set to finish by September, Al Arabiya reports. The company is a joint venture between Aramco (which holds a 30% stake), NORINCO Group (51%), and Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group (19%). The project will produce 15 mn tons of refined oil, 1.65 mn tons of ethylene, and 2 mn tons of paraxylene each year once operational.

DATA POINTS-

Flagship carrier Saudia arrived on time for 86% and hit an 88% on-time departure rate in January, the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca) said on X. Budget airline Flyadeal came in second with an 80% on-time arrival rate and 83% on-time departure rate. Flynas followed with a 71% on-time arrival rate and 75% on-time departure rate during the same period.

Over to airports: Among international airports handling more than 15 mn passengers per year, King Khaled International Airport achieved an 86% on-time departure rate. For international airports handling between six to 15 mn passengers per year, King Fahd International Airport had an 81% on-time departure rate, while international airports handling two to five mn passengers per year saw King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Jizan lead with a 91% on-time departure rate. For international airports handling less than two mn passengers per year, Neom Bay International Airport was the most punctual at 97%, while domestic airports saw Sharurah Airport record a 97% punctuality rate for departures during the period.

Saudi Arabia’s M3 money supply grew 9% y-o-y in January to reach SAR 2.97 tn, according to the January 2024 Statistical Bulletin (pdf) from SAMA. The largest contributors to the money supply were demand deposits (49%), time and savings deposits (33%), other quasi-cash deposits (10%), and banknotes in circulation outside banks (8%). Total liabilities were around SAR 5.2 tn.

SOUND SMART- M3 is the broadest measure of all the money in a country. It includes cash, current accounts, and other money that can be quickly mobilized (what econ-nerds call M2) as well as time deposits, money market funds, and the like.

On the investment front: Saudi banks’ cumulative investments in government bonds rose for the seventh consecutive month, hitting their peak at SAR 599.01 bn in January 2025, up 10.4% y-o-y and 1.2% m-o-m. These investments made up 73.7% of total public sector liabilities, which grew 16.4% y-o-y to SAR 813.02 bn. Bank credit to public institutions also increased by 36.9% to SAR 214.01 bn over the same period.

OIL WATCH-

Saudi Arabia and Algeria cut LPG prices for March: Saudi Aramco and Algeria’s Sonatrach lowered the official selling prices for liquefied petroleum gas for March by 0.9%-3.2% compared to February on the back of lower oil prices and weaker global demand, traders told Reuters. Aramco’s March price for propane was cut by USD 615 per metric ton, while butane prices were down to USD 605 per metric ton.

SPORTS-

Al Qadisiyah overtook Al Nassr to claim the third spot in the Saudi Pro League (SPL), after the Khobar-based team saw off Al Riyadh 1-0 while Cristiano Ronaldo’s men fell to a 2-1 defeat away from home at Al Orobah. Meanwhile, an Ivan Toney hattrick dispatched Al Hilal in a five-goal thriller at the King Fahd International Stadium, depriving the blues from closing the gap at the top with Al Ittihad — which drew at home 1-1 with Al Akhdoud.

Where things currently stand: Al Ittihad now sits at the top of the league with a six-point cushion between them and Al Hilal in second, while Al Qadisiyah is now three points clear of Al Nassr in third — which are only ahead of Al Ahli in 5th on goal difference. The gap between fifth and first spot currently stands at just 10 points with only 11 matchdays to go.

ALSO- Al Hilal’s Joao Cancelo will be out of commission for two months after sustaining a hamstring injury, the club said in a post on X. Cancelo came to the SPL in the summer following a GBP 21.2 mn transfer from Manchester City. Reuters also had the story.

SPEAKING OF AL HILAL- Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai is being linked with a move to the club, which is reportedly preparing a EUR 120 mn bid for the 24-year-old Hungarian midfielder, according to Fichajes. The unconfirmed reports on Szoboszlai’s potential move come while his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah is also being pursued by Saudi clubs as his Liverpool contract is set to expire this year.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Leaving no room for talks, Trump officially slapped 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting today. The levies — initially postponed after negotiations with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — are now officially moving forward as part of Trump’s push to pressure both countries on border security and fentanyl trafficking. Trump is also using the move to pressure Canada and Mexico to shift their manufacturing to the US, saying they’re “going to have a tariff” unless they “build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States, in which case they have no tariffs.” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly warned that Ottawa is “ready” to hit back with retaliatory measures.

That’s not all —Trump also signed off on doubling tariffs on Chinese imports to 20%. The White House justified the move by accusing Beijing of failing to curb illicit fentanyl shipments to the US. The directive goes into force today.

Needless to say, markets recoiled —The S&P 500 slid around 1.8%, marking its worst day since December and wiping out its year to date gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1.5% and the Nasdaq fell 2.6%, as fears over US economic fallout materialized. Tech stocks also slid, with Nvidia tumbling over 8%. We have more in Planet Finance, below. (Financial Times | AP | BBC | Bloomberg | CNBC | Reuters)

ALSO- Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine as part of his efforts to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take part in peace talks with Russia. Trump’s decision comes days after a heated discussion between him and Zelenskyy. (Bloomberg | AP)

IN OTHER BUSINESS NEWS- A Citigroup staffer nearly sent USD 6 bn to a customer’s account after dropping the account number into the USD field by mistake — a typo with serious extra zeros. The error, caught the next business day, was reported to regulators. (Bloomberg)

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