Good morning, ladies and gents. We have a pretty busy and meaty issue for you this morning, driven by the news of Saudi Arabia’s first official prospectus. Saleh Abdulaziz Al Rashed is moving forward with a public offering on Tadawul’s main market, which could mark the first IPO after a year of flops and downturns on the Tadawul.
ALSO: We look under the hood of annual inflation figures, as well as the performance of the Kingdom’s venture capital market in 2025.
PSA
Businesses subject to VAT with more than SAR 40 mn in annual revenues have until 31 January to file their December tax returns, while those whose annual revenues are below SAR 40 mn must file their 4Q returns by the same date, the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (Zatca) said in a statement. Late submissions may incur fines ranging from 5% to 25% of the declared taxes.
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Saudi Gold Refinery (SGR) aims to gradually raise annual production to 5 mn ounces by 2028, ahead of a planned IPO between 2028 and 2030, Chairman Suliman Al Othaim told Argaam. The company expects 6-10 new mines to be operational before listing. SGR produced 1.5 mn ounces of gold in 2025, beating its target of 1 mn ounces.
SGR isn’t the only mining firm eyeing a public debut: Ajlan & Bros. Holding plans to list its mining subsidiary Ajlan & Bros Mining and Metals (ABM) between 2029-2030, CEO Fahad Alenezi told Argaam. ABM’s investment portfolio stands at 35% of its target to hit SAR 50 bn by 2030, Alenezi said.
ABM’s portfolio includes some 39 mining sites, with mineral production targeted at 120k tons this year before gradually scaling to 700k–800k tons by 2030, Alenezi said, adding that the company plans to produce over 800k tons of concentrates by 2030.
Aramco expects to generate USD 3-5 bn in technology-driven gains in 2025, compared with a total of USD 6 bn during 2023-2024, as AI and advanced technology help lower drilling and maintenance costs and boost well productivity, Bloomberg reports, citing CEO Amin Nasser as saying at Davos.
The strategy: Aramco is using nearly a century of geological data and AI to optimize production and reduce costs, drilling fewer wells per barrel and improving pipeline reliability. The company is also partnering with hyperscalers and PIF-backed Humain, while its USD 7.5 bn venture capital arm invests in industry-related tech that can be applied in-house.
Data point
USD 20 bn — the value of international bonds Saudi Arabia sold in the first three weeks of 2026. Faced with tighter liquidity in the market and rising credit demand to support the execution of Vision 2030 projects, banks in particular have been tapping the markets to capitalize on favorable rates and spreads at breakneck speed, Bloomberg reports.
The government accounted for the lion’s share of the YTD figure with its issuance of USD11.5 bn in USD-denominated notes within the first week of January. Saudi Electricity Company, Saudi National Bank, Riyad Bank, Al Rajhi Bank, Bank Al Bilad, and stc have also each tapped international debt markets with sales.
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The big story abroad
Is “Sell America” back? A massive selloff hit Wall Street last night, as US President Donald Trump stood his ground on plans to take over Greenland despite European opposition.
All three Wall Street indices fell to their lowest since October, with the S&P 500 down 2.1%. At the same time: The USD slid 0.9% against a basket of six peers, gold surged to a record high, and long-term US yields hit a four-month high.
Meanwhile, a historic rout in Japanese bonds sent yields above 4% for the first time ever on concerns over the country’s fiscal health, after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called for a snap election which could hand her a mandate to pursue stimulus plans, including the removal of a food sales tax.
Adding fuel to the fire: Danish pension fund AkademikerPension said it will exit US Treasuries by the end of the month on the back of concerns that the current administration has created too many credit risks.
What to watch: Trump will be landing in Davos today, where he is set to schedule a few meetings to discuss Greenland.
ALSO- Netflix is tightening its screws in the Warner Bros takeover race: The streamer is converting its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery into an allcash offer, matching one key advantage offered by Paramount Skydance’s Gulf-backed bid, Bloomberg reports, citing a filing. Netflix had previously proposed USD 27.75 per share using a mix of banknotes and stock for Warner’s studio and streaming assets. Investors are set to vote on the transaction in April.


