The Public Investment Fund (PIF) raised USD 2 bn in its first debt sale of 2026, a USD-denominated, 10-year sukuk issuance that saw strong enough demand to price significantly tighter than expected, according to IFR data picked up by Al Arabiya.

Still hot: The sale was more than 5x oversubscribed, with an order book over USD 11 bn — excluding joint lead manager interest. The sukuk landed at a yield of 5.13% — roughly 85 basis points over US Treasuries — a sharp drop from the 120 bps initially signaled to the market.

Why it matters

The level of appetite is a vote of confidence in the PIF’s credit story as it enters its most capital-intensive year yet. The fund plans to deploy USD 70 bn annually starting this year, with the majority of capital directed toward domestic development. The fact that global investors squeezed pricing by 35 bps suggests that the fund’s appetite for leverage hasn’t spooked the markets.

What’s next: With USD 2 bn in the bag, the PIF has set a confident floor for the year’s capital raises. The PIF is expected to remain a frequent issuer throughout the year as it bridges the funding gap for projects like Neom and Diriyah Gate, particularly if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates further later this year.

ADVISORS: The fund tapped Citi, JPMorgan, and Standard Chartered as global coordinators. ADCB, ADIB, Bank of China, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank, GIB Capital, HSBC, ICBC, Mashreq, and Sharjah Islamic Bank were all joint lead managers and bookrunners.

More big players are dabbling in debt issuances

Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) kicked off a USD-dominated trust certificates sale running through 29 January, it said in a bourse filing on Thursday. The certificates will be issued through a special purpose vehicle, with subscriptions starting at USD 200k and offered in increments of USD 1k.

ADVISORS: Joint lead managers include Albilad Capital, AlJazira Capital, Arab Banking Corporation, Bank of China Hong Kong Branch, BNP Paribas, Citibank, Goldman Sachs International, HSBC, JPMorgan, KFH Capital, Merril Lynch International, Mizuho International, Natixis, and SNB Capital.

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