The star-studded FII9 wrapped up on Thursday, ending its four-day run that focused heavily on tech, energy and finance. While we wait for the official tally from the Future Investment Initiative on the volume and value of agreement signed at the summit in its ninth year, we bring you the highlights of FII9’s Day Three in this story (and more below).
#1- The Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) inked USD 4 bn worth of agreements with local and international financial and tech institutions, state news agency SPA reports. The transactions focus on diversifying funding sources, improving working capital efficiency, and accelerating key electricity and infrastructure projects.
SEC inked a USD 3 bn international financing agreement with a consortium of global banks, including Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Barclays, HSBC, ING Bank, ICBC, and Emirates NBD, among others. The agreement is set to strengthen SEC’s liquidity and expand its global financing base to support large-scale generation, transmission, and distribution projects.
The company also signed a USD 1 bn export credit agency (ECA) framework agreement with Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV) and Standard Chartered Bank to support strategic initiatives through ECA-backed financing, with a focus on boosting Saudi and Swiss content in project execution and enhancing capital efficiency.
#2- Northern Trust Asset Management and the PIF plan to launch a new systematic quantitative investment strategy focused on the Saudi markets, according to a statement. The move builds on a non-binding MoU signed in May for an up to USD 1 bn Saudi index strategy, which is now entering its execution phase. The new strategy will use data science, alternative data, and quantitative models to target risk-adjusted returns in the local equity market.
ALSO- PIF + JLL join forces to boost Saudi real estate: The PIF and Jones Lang LaSalle Saudi Arabia (JLL) signed an MoU to boost cooperation in the Kingdom’s real estate sector and strengthen private sector participation, according to a statement. The agreement aims to enhance efficiency and innovation across areas such as market insights, valuation, and project management.
#3- The Kingdom and Jordan signed an amended protocol to their investment promotion and protection agreement, the Investment Ministry said on X. The update clarifies legal safeguards, guarantees free fund transfers, and ensures equal treatment for investors from both countries. It also sets standards for fair compensation and establishes a joint committee to oversee implementation.
ALSO- Italy seeks to expand its partnership with Saudi Arabia to include joint investments in third markets, particularly Africa, Italy’s Enterprises and Industry Deputy Minister Valentino Valentini told Ashar Business (watch, runtime 1:43). The two nations signed USD 10 bn worth of agreements earlier this year, with the European country’s current investments in Saudi Arabia amounting to about EUR 5 bn.
More in the pipeline: Italy’s Foreign Minister is expected to visit the Kingdom at the end of November, leading a major trade delegation, which will also include the launch of an Italian furniture exhibition featuring top industry brands.
#4- Mawani x ZTT Group: The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) signed a SAR 375 mn land lease agreement with China’s ZTT Group signed to build a submarine and underground cable manufacturing plant at Ras Al-Khair Port, the authority said on X. Covering 80k sqm, the facility will produce 500 km of submarine cables. 500 km of underground cables, and 12.5k km of fiber optic cables annually, supporting localization of the cable industry and the Kingdom’s telecommunications sector.
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Goldman Sachs plans to further expand its presence in Saudi Arabia’s private credit market, the firm’s Global Co-Head of Private Credit James Reynolds told Asharq Business (watch, runtime 10:40) on the sidelines of FII9. The firm seeks to tap the growing gap between major project financing needs and local banks’ lending capacity through direct lending, structured finance, and private funds, focusing on investments in infrastructure, energy transition, and domestic consumption.
PIF aims to attract 50% of the firm’s private credit investments inside the kingdom, Asharq Business reported separately, citing PIF’s Head of Securities Investments Abdulmajeed Al Hagbani. Goldman Sachs Asset Management previously inked an agreement for PIF to anchor new private credit and public equity strategies in Saudi Arabia and the GCC.
AND- Saudi Arabia will decide on easing foreign investment limits in the country’s stocks in 2026, chairman of the Capital Market Authority Mohammed El Kuwaiz told Al Arabiya (watch, runtime 17:05). The authorities will remove restrictions preventing foreign investors from trading directly on the main exchange, before considering raising the 49% investment cap. “We are clear about the removal of the QFI regime preceding foreign investor limits,” El Kuwaiz said.