SPORTS-

PIF-backed LIV Golf granted UK’s Dazn its exclusive broadcasting rights in various countries, including Canada, France, Germany, and Japan, among others, it said in a statement on Friday. The multi-year partnership also brings LIV Golf+ into Dazn’s platform as a free, ad-supported streaming service, with plans to add a future paid subscription option. No timeline or investment ticket was disclosed.

REMEMBER- Dazn Group and PIF’s Surj Sports Investment are in talks to establish Dazn Mena, a Saudi sports broadcasting JV, aiming to capitalize on the Kingdom’s growing sports sector. This follows Surj’s acquisition of a minority stake in Dazn Group earlier in February.

M&A WATCH-

Riyadh-based VC Impact46 offloaded its 17.2% stake in Tadawul-listed fintech Rasan Information Technology through a SAR 918 mn accelerated bookbuild, securing a 10x return on its initial investment made in 2021, it said in a statement. The company sold some 13.30 mn shares at SAR 69 apiece to unnamed investors via private placement — a 13% discount to the Thursday closing price of Rasan shares.

ADVISORS- HSBC Saudi Arabia acted as the transaction’s sole global coordinator and bookrunner for Impact46.

STARTUP WATCH-

Aramco unit supports German DAC startup: Aramco Ventures is participating in the seed funding round by the German direct air capture (DAC) startup Ucaneo, according to a statement by Aramco Ventures published last Tuesday. Ucaneo raised EUR 6.8 mn to accelerate its development of Germany’s largest DAC demonstration plant, set to launch in early 2026. Ucaneo’s technology uses electricity and a specialized solvent to capture carbon, with the goal of making carbon removal more affordable. Aramco’s share of the total investment secured by Ucaneo was not disclosed.

HEALTHCARE-

Tibbiyah subsidiary lands SAR 493.4 mn contract with Nupco: Genalive, a 50% joint venture between Arabian International Healthcare Holding (Tibbiyah) and BGI, secured a SAR 493.4 mn contract with the National Unified Procurement Company (Nupco) to supply 933.8k medical tests, according to a disclosure to Tadawul. The tests will be distributed to 83 government, military, and university hospitals across Saudi Arabia, serving nearly 1 mn patients.

DEFENSE-

The Royal Saudi Air Force will get F110 engines for its F-15 and F-16 aircraft, under a contract signed between GE Aerospace and the US Air Force, valued at up to USD 5 bn. The contract — which also includes the air forces of Jordan, Bulgaria and other countries — covers the production and delivery of the engines over a five-year period, including a modernized engine monitoring system computers and spare engine accessories

AVIATION-

Air France will run direct flights between the Saudi capital and Paris starting 19 May, the French flag carrier said in a statement. The route will initially include three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, before adding two more flights on Sundays and Tuesdays starting 2 June.

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