Good morning, ladies and gents. Tadawul is getting more and more serious about opening up the market to even more foreign capital, putting forward draft regulations that do away with restrictions under the Qualified Foreign Investors framework and allowing non-Saudis direct access to all listed securities. The foreign ownership cap is still capped at 49% though, but we could see it lifted by the end of the year.

Also in this morning’s news well: Sama’s monthly figures show net foreign assets climbed to SAR 1.5 tn surplus in August, and the Housing Support Law’s new regs — including a point-based system — are now in effect. Let’s dive in.

HAPPENING TOMORROW-

The SaudiLifestyle Week kicks off tomorrow and runs through Wednesday at the Riyadh International Convention & Exhibition Center. The three-day event brings together global brands and local innovators to connect, collaborate, and capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s rapidly evolving market.

WEATHER- Riyadh is expected to reach 35°C by day and cool down to 24°C at night, while Jeddah will see a high of 38°C and a low of 27°C. Makkah stays the hottest, climbing to 42°C before easing to 30°C overnight.

PSAs-

Title deed registration for about 3.2k properties in the Al Yasmin district in Hail kicks off today until 8 January 2026, the Real Estate General Authority said in a statement in August. Owners can register through the Real Estate Registry platform.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- Chinese lenders step up for Aramco’s Jafurah project: Four Chinese state-owned banks are providing over a third of the financing for Saudi Aramco’s Jafurah gas project, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources it says are in the know. The debt package includes some USD 1 bn each from the Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and China Construction Bank, with around USD 750 mn from the Agricultural Bank of China.

Funds steering clear? Chinese funds reportedly declined an equity stake in the project, following a directive from Beijing to avoid US-linked firms amid ongoing trade tensions, the newswire said.

REFRESHER- A consortium led by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) acquired a 49% stake in Aramco’s Jafurah gas infrastructure through an USD 11 bn lease-and-leaseback agreement in August, forming the Jafurah Midstream Gas Company joint venture with Saudi Aramco (51%). The consortium raised a financing package of nearly USD 10 bn last month to fund the investment.

#2- PIF subsidiary Expo 2030 Riyadh Company (ERC) is set to award the contract for the initial infrastructure works at the Expo 2030 Riyadh venue in December, Meed reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. The tender, floated on 21 September, covers the main utilities corridor and is the first of three planned infrastructure contracts. Technical bids are due 26 October and commercial bids on 9 November.

We knew this was coming: PIF launched the ERC last June to manage the construction and operation of the Expo 2030 facilities, forecast to contribute approximately USD 64 bn to the Kingdom’s GDP during its development and another USD 5.6 bn while operational. ERC received interest from contractors for the initial infrastructure works in July.

REMEMBER- US engineering firm Bechtel was appointed as Expo 2030 project manager inJuly to oversee infrastructure works across the 6 sq km site, including roads, utilities, and public spaces, as well as transforming the venue into a sustainable urban district.

#3- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is maintaining a positive outlook on Saudi’s economy, buoyed by its agile public spending plans, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in an interview with Asharq Business (watch, runtime: 21:27). The willingness to adapt and ensure spending efficiency demonstrates fiscal discipline, which boosts the confidence of capital markets, Georgieva added.

Diversification is bearing fruit: Georgieva highlighted that while the oil side of the economy is slightly shrinking on the back of lower prices, non-oil sectors are expanding at a robust annual rate of 4.4%. Twin deficits are expected, but the Kingdom remains in a strong position on the back of solid reserves and agile policymaking, Georgieva said.

ICYMI- Our GDP is forecasted to grow 4.6% in 2026, on the back of expected growth in non-oil activities, the Finance Ministry said in its pre-budget statement for FY 2026. The budget deficit is projected to stand at SAR 165 bn, or 3.3% of GDP in 2026 — 2.0 percentage points lower than the government’s expectation of a 5.3% deficit in 2025.

#4- Asyad-led consortium bids for Baghdad airport development: A consortium including Asyad Holdings, China’s Top International Engineering Corporation, Turkey’s YDA İnşaat, Bahrain’s Lamar Holding, and Ireland’s Dublin Airport Authority is among three groups vying to develop and operate Baghdad International Airport under a 25-year public-private partnership (PPP) model, the Iraqi New Agency reported Friday. The project covers infrastructure rehabilitation, a new passenger terminal, and operations and maintenance.

ALSO- Acwa eyes Omani thermal power projects: Renewables giant Acwa Power is bidding to develop and operate two large combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants for Oman’s Nama Power and Water Procurement Company — the 1.6 GW Misfah IPP in Muscat and the 800 MW Duqm IPP in Al Wusta, Nama said in a statement. The projects, Oman’s first thermal IPPs in nearly a decade, will follow a Build, Own, and Operate (BOO) model, with early operations slated for April 2028 and full operations by April 2029.

OIL WATCH-

Eight Opec+ members are set to discuss another oil output hike at their online meeting today, with the Kingdom pushing for a much larger increase than Russia, Reuters reported on Friday, citing four people it said are familiar with the matter. Russia is reportedly backing a modest rise of 137k bbl / d for November — the same as October — while the Kingdom is pushing for a much larger rise of up to 548k bbl / d to expand market share.

The cartel has been increasing production quotas since April, adding some 2.5 mn bbl / d in total, and will continue monthly hikes through September 2026, fast-tracking the return of 1.65 mn bbl / d that was previously set to stay offline until end-2026.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

Egypt will host delegations from Israel and Hamas tomorrow for discussions on US President Donald Trump-proposed ceasefire agreement, gypt’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The two sides will discuss the conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza and the details of the hostage exchange. Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff arrived in Cairo yesterday to finalize details of the hostage release and discuss the broader peace framework, AFP reports.

Hamas is mostly on board: Hamas said it will release all Israeli prisoners if Israel complies with the conditions detailed in the plan, but signaled that it is after further negotiations regarding the future of Gaza and rights of its citizens. Trump had put forward a 20-point plan that calls for an immediate ceasefire, a swap of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, a staged Israeli withdrawal, and Hamas’ disarmament and gave Hamas until later today to respond to it after it secured Israeli backing last week.

The talks come as Israeli airstrikes on Gaza killed dozens on Saturday, despite Trump’s call for Israel to halt its bombing following Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to free hostages under his plan, according to Reuters. Trump said Israel had agreed to an “initial withdrawal line” in Gaza and that a ceasefire would take effect immediately once Hamas confirms.

ALSO- The Trump administration unveiled plans to deploy hundreds of military personnel to Illinois, despite objections from governor JB Pritzker. It remains unclear when or where the troops will be deployed, though the move follows similar federalizations in Los Angeles, DC, and Oregon, where National Guard units have been used to support local law enforcement. (Financial Times | Associated Press | Guardian | Reuters)

ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD- Japan is on track to welcome its first-ever female prime minister, with ruling Liberal Democratic Party members electing Sanae Takaichi as their new leader following a tight race against Shinjiro Koizumi. The 64-year-old conservative, known for her alignment with former premier Shinzo Abe’s economic policies, will replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba amid growing political and economic headwinds. Takaichi is taking over a weakened party facing economic challenges, strained US ties, and declining public support. Takaichi is expected to be confirmed by parliament on 15 October. (Reuters | Financial Times | BBC | Bloomberg)

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