How the Kingdom is building “Saudiwood” + Digitally demystifying the sukuk market

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WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY

Still no word about what Jake Sullivan during his visit to Saudi yesterday with top White House officials

Good morning, friends. It’s a reasonably quiet news morning as we head into the final workdays of Ramadan, with no single story capturing the imagination.

And there’s no news yet about Jake Sullivan’s visit yesterday. Biden administration’s national security advisor and two other senior White House officials were due to touch down for talks with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohamed bin Salman. Normalization of ties with Israel, a defense pact, a nuclear agreement, and statehood for Palestine were all expected to be on the agenda.

WEATHER- Expect more rain today in Riyadh, so grab your rain boots and umbrella once again. There’s a chance of thunderstorms starting at noon and continuing throughout the afternoon and potentially overnight Look for a daytime high of 29°C today.

Over in AlUla, expect scattered rain and a high of 28°C, while Al Taif is also looking at light showers today with a high of 23°C.

** So, when do we eat? Maghrib prayers are at 6:10 pm in the capital city, and you’ll have until 4:24 am tomorrow to hydrate and caffeinate ahead of fajr. Today is day 24 of Ramadan.

Remember: Businesses will be off for Eid Al Fitr from Tuesday, 9 April through Friday, 13 April, while banks and the stock market will be closed from Friday, 5 April, through Saturday, 13 April.

** Tap or click here to read this story on our website and access all of the external links.

DATA POINTS-

#1- Tadawul-listed companies’ total net income fell 17% y-o-y to SAR 126.8 bn in 4Q 2023, driven by Aramco’s 18% y-o-y decline along with pressure on the bottom lines of petrochemical, energy, and petrochemical sectors, according to data seen by Argaam.

The heavyweights: The energy sector accounted for 81% of aggregate net income in 4Q 2023, followed by banks at 13.7%, and telecoms at 2.7%.

#2- Foreign investment licenses in the real estate sector rose 64% y-o-y to 46 licenses in 2023, according to data seen by Aleqtisadiah. Some 23 real estate investment transactions were concluded in 4Q 2023, topping the list of investments in all sectors.

#3- The number of women employees registered with the General Organization for Social Ins. (GOSI) grew by c.11% y-o-y in 2023 to hit the 1 mn mark for the first time, data compiled by Okaz showed.

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OIL WATCH-

Don’t expect any output policy changes by Opec+ today: A ministerial panel by OPEC+ is not expected to make any recommendations for changes to the current oil output policy in its meeting today, five Opec+ sources told Reuters yesterday. The meeting comes weeks after Opec+ members, led by Saudi and Russia, extended voluntary curbs that will remain in effect through June 2024

WATCH THIS SPACE-

#1- An initial study for the Saudi-Kuwait railway link is set to be completed within the next three months, as part of the project’s first phase which will determine the railway’s route and seek necessary approvals, Kuwait’s Alanbaa wrote, citing sources within Kuwait’s Ministry of Public Works. The 650 km long line will connect Kuwait’s Shadadiyah to Riyadh. The design-focused second phase of the project is set to be completed in about a year. Phase three is a three-year construction project, with the line expected to be ready to start handling traffic as early as 2028.

#2- Have your say on a cap on pensions: The General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) is asking for public feedback on the idea of setting a SAR 45k per-month ceiling on pensions. You can go deeper into the proposed changes here (pdf) and weigh in through the Istitlaa platform

#3-The Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) aims to greenlight industrial loans worth a total of SAR 9-12 bn this year, it told Al Eqtisadiah yesterday, with some SAR 6-8 bn of that figure to be disbursed this year. It offered no additional context on priority sectors or borrowing costs.

About the fund: The SIDF was set up as a governmental financial institution to help provide financing to industry. It has provided financing of more than SAR 150 bn since it was set up in the early 1970s.

#5- The Capital Market Authority (CMA) has asked prosecutors to investigate Dubai-based Elmar Capitaland Elmar Financial for allegedly engaging in unauthorized trading of securities, it said in a statement yesterday.

#3- More want in on MidOcean Energy amid Aramco and friends’ play for LNG: Japanese trading house Mitsubishi announced a “strategic investment” in LNG company MidOcean Energy to “accelerate MidOcean’s strategy to create a high quality, diversified, global ‘pure play’ integrated LNG company,” according to a statement by MidOcean Energy yesterday.

The Saudi connection: The move comes amid a strong investor appetite in LNG, with Aramco saying last month that it could explore with MidOcean Energy the possibility of investing in LNG projects outside of Australia. The state-owned oil giant agreed last year to acquire a strategic minority stake in MidOcean Energy for USD 500 mn, marking its first foray into global LNG.

PSA-

The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (Zatca) is reminding businesses once again of a set 30 June deadline to submit their tax returns if they want to benefit from its tax fine waiver scheme, according to a statement by Zatca.

On the exemption menu: Exemptions apply on fines for late registration, late payment, late filing of tax returns, and a correction for value-added tax returns among others. Tax dodgers need not apply for an exemption, nor should folks who paid fines before the exemption program began.

SPORTS-

Here are the results from yesterday’s Saudi Pro League matches:

Al Hilal vs. Al Akhdoud (3-0);
Al Feiha vs. Al Wehda (1-2);
Abha vs. Al Nassr (0-8);
Al Tai vs. Al Taawoun (2-3).

NOTABLE- Ronaldo scored three goals and two assists in the first half as the nine-time SPL champs destroyed Abha.

Tonight’s matches (all scheduled for 10 pm):

Al Shabab vs. Al Riyadh;
Al Fateh vs. Al Ettifaq.

THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The global business press is focused on the war in Gaza and tensions in Syria, with the two stories leading or getting prominent play everywhere from the Wall Street Journal to Reuters and Bloomberg.

#1- Israel’s military expressed “sincere sorrow” that it had killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in an airstrike on Gaza, saying the strike was a mistake. The attack prompted the Biden administration to offer its toughest criticism yet of the Netanyahu government. The Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack.

#2- Iran is furious and has vowed to respond after Israel killed top Iranian military officials in an attack on Iran’s embassy in Damascus despite diplomatic compounds having protected status under the Vienna Convention. Israel’s defense minister was unapologetic, saying, “We are in a multifront war, offensively and defensively.”

IN BUSINESS- Tesla’s shares plunged after quarterly deliveries fell for the first time since 2020, CNBC reports.The 8.5% drop in deliveries was worse than analysts had penciled in, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg add.

FAR, FAR AFIELD- The moon is about to get its own timezone. “The White House on Tuesday directed NASA to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies, as the United States aims to set international norms in space amid a growing lunar race among nations and private companies,” Reuters writes in an exclusive.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The Gulf Film Festival (GFF) will open from Sunday, 14 April till Thursday, 18 April in Riyadh. Organized by the Film Commission in cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) General Secretariat, the five-day event will showcase a selection of 29 films from across the region. It will also include three training workshops and six educational seminars focused on fostering artistic dialogue and raising awareness of cinema's social impact.

Automechanika Riyadh will open on Tuesday, 30 April till Thursday, 2 May at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.The annual trade fair will showcase the automotive industry’s latest advances and innovations.

Aramco pushes ahead with USD 7.7 bn Fadhili natural gas plant expansion

Aramco’s Fadhili gas plant gets a boost: Oil giant Aramco has awarded USD 7.7 bn worth of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts to expand its Fadhili gas plant in the Eastern Province, it said in a statement yesterday. This will help increase the plant’s processing capacity to 4 bn standard cubic feet per day from 2.5 bscfd right now.

The lineup: Aramco awarded the EPC contracts to South Korea’s Samsung Engineering and GS Engineering & Construction, according to the statement. Local contractor Nesma &Partners, in which the Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired an undisclosed stake last year, was also awarded contracts by the state-owned oil company.

Aramco aims to boost gas production by 60%: The plant’s expansion, which is expected to be completed by November 2027, will help boost Aramco’s gas production by over 60% by 2030. It is also expected to add an additional 2.3k metric tons per day to the company’s sulphur production.

Background: The Fadhili gas plant is part of Aramco’s Master Gas System (MGS), which is Saudi’s main gas pipeline that includes a network linking gas production and processing sites across the Kingdom. Aramco has for some years now been working to expand the system. The MGS now has a capacity of 12.5 bn standard cubic feet per day.

What they said: “The award of these contracts reflects Aramco’s goal to increase supplies of natural gas, help efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and free up more crude oil for value-added refining and export,” Aramco Executive Vice President of Technical Services Wail Al Jaafari said.

It’s already been an eventful year for Aramco: Aramco made a surprise announcement in January that it was putting on hold its expansion plan and will target a “maximum sustained production capacity” of 12 mn barrels of oil per day. That’s about 1 mn bpd below the target of 13 mn bpd by 2027 that it had set back in 2020. It is also looking to raise its investments in liquefied natural gas (LNG), after marking its entry into the LNG business with a minority stake acquisition in MidOcean Energy last year. It is also in talks to invest in US LNG projects and was shortlisted recently by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings for the sale of its LNG trading firm subsidiary Pavilion Energy’s assets.

Tadawul soared in 1Q 2024, with turnover and TASI both up

The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) closed 1Q 2024 up 17.1% y-o-y at 12.4k points, according to a statistical report (pdf) from the stock exchange. Turnover soared 113.5% to y-o-y in the first quarter of the year to c. SAR 576 bn (c. USD 153.6 bn), while total executed transactions rose 74% y-o-y to c. 35 mn.

SAL Saudi Logistics topped the main market’s five most-actively traded stocks measured by the volume of shares traded, followed by Aramco, Ades Holding, Al Rajhi, and MBC Group. Aramco led the list by the value of shares traded at SAR 28.8 bn, followed by Al Rajhi, SAL, SNB and Ades.

Newcomers to the TASI in the quarter:

MBC Group, which listed in January after a blockbuster IPO ;
Avalon Pharma, which listed in February after a SAR 492 mn IPO ;
Modern Mills, which listed in March after an IPO that saw it sell a 30% stake;
Saudi Cable, which saw its two-year Tadawul suspension lifted.

And a new index: Tadawul launched TASI50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest companies by market cap listed on the exchange.

A look at Nomu during 1Q: Parallel market Nomu Capped Index (NomuC) was up 30.9% y-o-y during the first quarter to close at 26k points. Turnover rose 86.1% y-o-y during the period to SAR 3.3 bn, while the total number of executed transactions jumped 52.7% y-o-y to 188.9k.

The first quarter of the year was a busy one for Nomu listings, with six companies offering shares for the parallel market. They include:

Pan Gulf Marketing, which listed in February after taking a 12% stake to the market in February;
WSM Information Tech, which listed in February after selling a 20% stake;
Al Modawat Specialized Medical, which listed in February after selling a 20% stake;
Quara Finance, which listed in March after offering a 8.8% stake;
Al Mohafaza Education, which listed in March after it floated a 20% stake;
Taqat Mineral Trading, which listed in March after offering a 20% stake.

From ban to boom: How Saudi Arabia’s film industry aims to become “Saudiwood”

From a 35-year cinema ban to a push for Saudiwood: In the six years since a 35-year cinema ban was lifted in 2018, Saudi has made big strides to become one of the region’s leading film production markets. There’s a Muvi on every street corner, production houses are setting up shop, investment are pouring in, more film festivals are shining a spotlight on local talent, and the industry regularly makes the pages of Variety.

A primer on the state of the filmmaking industry:

Saudi is set to launch a USD 100 mn (SAR 375 mn) film fund, with the government’s Cultural Development Fund contributing 40% of the fund’s total capital. Dubbed the “Saudi Film Fund”, the fund is being launched by local investment firm Mefic Capital in collaboration with Roaa Media Ventures — a holding company focused on promoting local media projects and talent. The fund, which was announced in February, aims to invest in “film production infrastructure and provide content that reflects the Saudi culture and values”. The three parties signed a preliminary agreement for the USD 100 mn film fund last year at the Cannes Film Festival. A separate USD 80 mn fund focused on “film and media production, distribution and infrastructure” was also announced last year.

Incentives for film production are key: The Saudi Film Commission announced in 2022 during its participation at the Cannes Film Festival an incentive program aimed at turning the Kingdom as a global hub for film production. Those include up to 40% back for productions that hire local crew in above- and below-the-line positions, among other incentives. The incentives were announced a few months after the Kingdom set up the Red Sea Fund to support Arab and African filmmakers and directors. It has provided funding for over 250 films since it was set up in 2021.

And a big regional film fund: The General Entertainment Authority (GEA) launched in February an investment fund aimed at boosting Arabic film content across the region with an initial capital of EGP 4 bn (c. SAR 318 mn). The Big Time Investment fund, in which GEA holds a 30% stake, will focus on film production and distribution. It will be followed by similar investment funds Big Time 2 and Big Time 3 to pursue American and Indian films at later stages. It aims to produce 20 movies from across the region this year.

We’re already seeing Saudi in some of Hollywood’s productions: Some of the movies shot here include the Gerard Butler action-thriller Kandahar, which was filmed in AlUla; Anthony Mackie’s Desert Warrior in Neom; and a part of the crime drama Cherry, which was shot in AlUla and Riyadh. All three productions benefitted from the rebate before it was officially announced. Hollywood’s next big-budget movie Desert Warrior, which is backed by MBC Studios, could be making its way towards an official release soon. The movie, which has been in the works since September 2021, was shot in Neom.

And backing for some productions: Jeddah-based Red Sea Film Foundation has backed Johnny Depp’s film Modi, which follows the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modiglian. Al Pacino plays a supporting role as real-life French art collector Maurice Gangnat. It’s Depp’s first directorial outing in two decades.

A first international film festival: The inaugural Red Sea Film Festival kicked off in Jeddah in 2021 in what was the Kingdom’s first international film festival. Its later editions featured a stellar lineup of Hollywood and global stars, including Will Smith, Johnny Depp and others. The Gulf Film Festival is also coming to town this month, featuring 29 movies from GCC neighbors in a bid to boost the Gulf film scene.

2023 was a great year for Saudi’s box office: In 2023, local theaters witnessed a 20% y-o-y cinematic boom with 443 films released, attracting over 17.4 mn moviegoers, according to ScreenDaily. This surge placed Saudi in the 15th spot in box office rankings worldwide, with ticket sales surpassing USD 240 mn, it added. By October 2023, seven licensed cinema operators managed a total of 69 cinemas, 628 screens, and 65k seats.

Saudi’s cinema sector could be a goldmine: Saudi’s domestic box office could be worth USD 950 mn by 2030, according to a forecast by global accounting firm PwC. It forecasts a population boom by the end of the decade to hold an immense growth potential for the cinema scene. The cinema industry could rake in a total of USD 1.5 bn by 2030 when factoring in revenue sources other than ticket sales, including income from F&B sales, concessions, and advertising. The report was written before the boom in cinema really got off the ground — even with the move to streaming, PwC’s estimates could be a bit on the conservative side, they say.

Could digitization demystify the opaque market for sukuk?

Digitization has been making inroads into Islamic finance in a push that promises to demystify a complex market. In fact, S&P Global sees sukuk issuances “showing pockets of opportunity,” as they increasingly adopt digital technologies, it said in its latest global sukuk market report. The local market has emerged as somewhat of a hub for shariah-compliant e-finance with the likes of Rakeez Capital, Emkan Alarabiya, Sukuk Capital and Mudaraba Financial, among a flurry of homegrown fintechs, spearheading the digital sukuk movement.

In context: Rakeez Capital launched its first automated sukuk issuance platform in June of last year, which you can access — to invest or raise funds — through the fintech's webpage, and mobile application (Appstore | Playstore). Emkan Alarabiya followed suit earlier this year with a similar online space that offers accessible shariah-compliant financing options, with a step-by-step guide (Appstore | Playstore). Sukuk Capital is an old hand at digital sukuk sales, the online marketplace offers a wide pool of crowdfunding solutions (Appstore | Playstore). Meanwhile, Mudaraba Financial debuted its sukuk crowdfunding platform back in 2022, to cater to SMEs (Appstore | Playstore).

BACKGROUND- Global sukuk issuances in 2023: A drop in local SAR-denominated sukuk issuances last year, along with the concurrent decline in Indonesia, contributed to the 17% y-o-y in global issuances in 2023. Meanwhile, KSA accounted for nearly a third (28%) of the total USD 823 bn international sukuk outstanding as of 3Q 2023. Malaysia leads the global market with a 40% share, followed by Indonesia (13%), the UAE (6%), and Turkey (3%). Global sukuk issuance is expected to total USD 160 bn to USD 170 bn this year, including foreign currency-denominated issuance of USD 45 bn to USD 50 bn.

Transactions on autopilot: Digital sukuk refers to non-interest bearing shariah-compliant debt instruments that are typically issued and managed using self-executing contracts. Investors interested in buying sukuk would then be able to do so through a digital asset exchange or any platform that supports sukuk trading. Their yields — which are generated by underlying assets as per Shariah law — would then be automatically and accurately disbursed in due time courtesy of the smart contract.

Sukuk crowdfunding: Smart sukuk issuances have unlocked a new stream of financing for local small and medium enterprises, which typically have less access to bank funding by virtue of their financial firepower. For example, Thara, a Riyadh-based startup, has recently unveiled a new sukuk crowdfunding platform — certified by the Shariah Review Bureau (SRB) — which allows SMEs in the real estate sector to raise funds by digitally offering sukuk to retail and institutional investors alike. Using the Murabaha modality, this process democratizes access to shariah-compliant financing for the issuer and shores up investment options for prospective sukuk holders.

There are of course some caveats: The full-blown adoption of smart sukuk faces a set of obstacles including the absence of a legal framework to regulate issuances, some networks’ susceptibility to cyber threats, and difficulties in ensuring compliance with relevant financial laws and regulations, in addition to the overarching issue of shariah interpretation, according to a new study (pdf).

Mawani + SAR ink partnership to boost rail and maritime connectivity in Saudi Arabia

Mawani + SAR ink partnership agreement: Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has inked a partnership agreement with Saudi Railway Company (SAR) to boost rail and maritime transport connectivity in the Kingdom, according to a press release. The agreement sees the pair committing to boosting logistical movements at industrial and commercial ports. No details regarding an investment ticket or timeline were disclosed in the statement.

Details: The partnership looks to streamline integration via rail, to and from ports, for the transport of containers, bulk materials, and general cargo, with SAR’s railway links at

Damman’s King Abdul Aziz Port, Jubail’s King Fahd Industrial Port, Jubail Commercial Port, and Ras AlKhair Port set to play a pivotal role in the arrangement.

It also aims to boost the efficiency of services to exporters and importers, playing up the efficiency and reliability of rail and the possibility of lower carbon emissions. Mawani and SAR will also swap know-how as part of the tie-up.

Mawani is doubling down on multimodal links: It inked an MoU in mid-2023 with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) and the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) to enhance connections between air and sea ports here. The three-party agreement looks to upgrade customs services and logistics operations, and integrate freight operations at air and sea terminals.

Cabinet says Saudi will bear “residency costs” for some refugees for up to four years

Cabinet said the government will bear residency costs for some “refugees from neighboring countries” for four years after they rectify their stay in the Kingdom, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. The government will also waive fees for work permits, the expat levy, dependent fees, and residency-related fines. It did not provide details on which nationalities to be included under the scheme.

There is no official data on the number of refugees living in Saudi, but humanitarian agency KSRelief says most of those it helps in Saudi are from Yemen and Syria as well as Rohingya people, largely from Myanmar. Saudi has also welcomed thousands of Sudanese people who fled the war in Sudan in the past year.

Also approved at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting:

Mandating the Investment Minister to discuss and sign a MoU promoting FDI with San Marino;
Mandating the Economy and Planning Minister to discuss and sign a draft economic cooperation agreement with Serbia;
Mandating the Environment, Water and Agriculture Minister to discuss and sign a MoU on water desalination between the Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWWC) and South Korean counterparts;
Mandating the State Security Chief to discuss and sign a MoU with Pakistan’s Military Intelligence in combating terrorism and its financing;
A MoU on political consultations between the Foreign Ministry and Dominican counterparts;
A MoU between the Justice Minister and North Macedonia and another with Comoros;
A MoU between the government and the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on public policy;
A MoU between the Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRRC) and Iraqi counterparts on nuclear and radiation safety;
Two MoUs with Barbados and Mali in air transport services.

Yamama Cement appoints Prince Naif bin Sultan Al Kabeer as new chairman

Yamama Cement (YSCC) named Prince Naif bin Sultan Al Kabeeras its new chairman, the cement manufacturer said in a disclosure to Tadawul yesterday. Prince Naif was the company’s vice-president. It also appointed Abdullah Al Obeikan (LinkedIn) as vice chairman.

No Miss Universe, Heathrow, and still more whining…

No single story is driving the conversation on Saudi in the internationala press.

“A handful of traders” at Aramco’s Houston office reportedly staged a walkout last week after getting lower bonuses than they had expected, Bloomberg reports. “Discontent about trader pay is roiling the company’s Houston crude desk” and dates back to Aramco’s acquisition of Motiva Trading last year.

Is Neom preparing to launch its own e-visa system? That’s travel industry staple Skift ’s reading of the tea leaves based on a Neom job ad.

No Miss Universe? “We would like to categorically state that no selection process has been conducted in Saudi Arabia, and any such claims are false and misleading," the organization that puts together the competition said in response to a claim by Saudi model and influencer Rumy Alqahtani that she would compete on stage in Mexico this year. The denial is getting ink regionally and abroad.

So. Much. Whining. Deutsche Well is at least a week behind its competitors in the global press, clinging to outdated stereotypes about the Kingdom as it wonders Why is Saudi Arabia heading [the] top UN gender equality forum?

MEANWHILE-

The Telegraph is stirring the pot on what a move by the PIF for a stake in Heathrow could mean to Europe’s busiest airport.
Financial News covers the “fresh wave of international law firms is rushing to open in Riyadh”

Al Akaria to carry out excavation works for a metro line in Diriyah Gate. Plus: aviation, manufacturing, real estate

INFRASTRUCTURE-

#1- Al-Akaria pens a metro excavation agreement with Diriyah: Binyah — a unit of Saudi Real Estate (Al-Akaria) — will carry out excavation work for a new metro line under a SAR 722 mn contract with PIF-owned Diriyah Gate, Al-Akaria said in a filing to Tadawul. The freshly-inked contract will be valid for 3.5 years. No further information was available.

ALSO- Al-Akaria has inked a SAR 160 mn full-scope construction contract for Tilal Al Riyadh in Al Malqa district with its fully-owned subsidiary Saudi Real Estate Construction Company (Tamear), it said in a separate filing to the exchange. The project’s implementation includes civil, structural, architectural, electromechanical and external works. The contract will run for 22 months.

#2- Ladun Investment subsidiary to implement infrastructure for State Security: Built Industrial Company — a subsidiary of Ladun Investment — signed a SAR 348 mn contract with State Security to implement architectural, electrical and mechanical works for the security agency’s new building at the Naif Security Complex in Riyadh, it said in a disclosure to Tadawul.

AVIATION-

#1- Riyadh Air partners up with AI consultancy Artefact, as they aim to build “Riyadh Air’s data analytics platform and develop AI solutions across its [the airline] main business and corporate functions,” according to a joint statement. These AI solutions include guest experience personalization, real time data on flight and ground operations, and selling air and non-air product offerings. The Kingdom’s flagship carrier’s first flight is slated for 2025. No further information was provided.

#2- Budget airliner flynas received its fiftieth Airbus A320neo yesterday, it said in a post on X yesterday. The aircraft is part of a 120 A320neo purchase order by flynas from Airbus under a SAR 32 bn agreement in 2017.

AUTOMOTVE-

South Korean automaker Tata Daewoo plans to build a truck assembly plant in Saudi under a freshly-inked MoU with its local distributor Saudi Diesel Equipment (SDEC) and homegrown producer Perfect Arabia Factory (PAF), Korea Economic Daily (KED) reported earlier this week. The truckmaker will provide local technology support, while the SDEC and PAF will work together to co-assemble the new trucks. It aims to export 1k trucks per year as well as serve domestic demand from “ major construction projects such as Neom City and Amiral Petrochemical Complex.”

REAL ESTATE-

Infath is auctioning some 150 properties across the Kingdom: Independent governmental center the Entrustment and Liquidation Center (Infath) began public auctions to sell and liquidate 150 residential and commercial projects across ten regions in the Kingdom, state news agency SPA reported. Bidding began on Monday, 1 April and will run until Monday, 15 April.

CULTURE-

A Saudi-Chinese partnership for heritage preservation: The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) inked a “strategic partnership” with the Cultural Heritage Administration of Chinese Henan Province to help boost heritage preservation, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. The partnership will also focus on archaeology, research, talent development, tourism and others. They will also conduct excavation activities in heritage sites in AlUla and Henan.

INVESTMENT-

The Social Development Bank is allocating SAR 1 bn from its private sector donors to support entrepreneurs, its VP of Strategy and Innovation Sector Muied Al Bishi told Al Eqtisadiah yesterday. The announcement came on the sidelines of a MoU signing between the bank and Jahiz Group to set up a SAR 30 mn financing portfolio to support the bank’s CSR program.

A snapshot of trading value by nationality in Tadawul for March 2024

Local investors continue to dispose of their positions in main market Tadawul and in the local sukuk market in March 2024, while reversing their February net-buying position in the parallel market to become net sellers in Nomu last month. Meanwhile, GCC and foreign investors are holding on to their positive outlook for the local market, increasing their investments positions.

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PARALLEL MARKET NOMU-

Local investors were net sellers on Tadawul’s main market in March, with net sold positions worth SAR 371 mn, according to the Tadawul monthly ownership and trading activity report (pdf). Meanwhile, GCC investors were net buyers with net acquired positions worth SAR 229 mn and net foreign investors were also net buyers with net bought positions worth SAR 142 mn.

PARALLEL MARKET NOMU-

Nomu trading values in March 2024: Local investors were net sellers on Tadawul’s parallel market last month, with net sold positions worth SAR 139 mn. Meanwhile, GCC investors were net buyers with net acquired positions worth SAR 6.9 mn and foreign investors were also net buyers with net bought positions worth SAR 132 mn.

SUKUK / BONDS MARKET-

Local investors were net sellers in the local sukuk market, with net sold positions worth SAR 71.8 mn in March, while GCC investors were net buyers with net acquired positions worth SAR 210k and foreign investors were also net buyers with net bought positions worth SAR 71.6 mn.

THE MARKETS THIS MORNING-

Asian markets are solidly in the red this morning, with CNBC blaming poor sentiment on electric vehicles after Tesla said yesterday it had missed delivery targets. The decline in deliveries was worse than analysts had expected. Three listed Chinese automakers, including market leader BYD, led the decliners. The sea of red extends to Europe and on Wall Street, where stock futures edged down overnight.

MEANWHILE- Gold hit a record high on Monday on the back of growing expectations of the USD Federal Reserve’s interest rate cuts and the metal’s status as a safe haven asset, CNBC reports. Gold soared to a high of USD 2.29k, with the spot gold price rising 0.3% to USD 2.2k per ounce. The metal was up 1.3% this morning.

The ongoing surge in gold prices has been driven by central banks increasing their gold purchases in a bid to diversify their reserve portfolio amid heightened geopolitical tensions and accelerating inflationary pressures, market strategist at the World Gold Council Joseph Cavatoni told CNBC.

TASI	12,477	+0.4% (YTD: +4.3%)
MSCI Tadawul 30	1,589	+0.8% (YTD: +2.5%)
NomuC	26,145	-0.1% (YTD: +6.6%)
USD : SAR (SAMA)	3.75 Sell	3.75 Buy
Interest rates	6.5% repo	5.5% reverse repo
EGX30	27,934	-1.3% (YTD: +12.2%)
ADX	9,253	+0.1% (YTD: -3.40%)
DFM	4,269	+0.1% (YTD: +5.2%)
S&P 500	5,197	-0.9% (YTD: +8.8%)
FTSE 100	7,935	-0.2% (YTD: +2.6%)
Euro Stoxx 50	5,042	-0.8% (YTD: +11.5%)
Brent crude	USD 88.5	+1.3%
Natural gas (Nymex)	USD 1.87	+1.6%
Gold	USD 2,281	+1%
BTC	USD 65,422	-4.5% (YTD: +115%)

THE CLOSING BELL: TADAWUL-

The TASIrose 0.4% yesterday on turnover of SAR 7.6 bn. The index is up 4.3% YTD.

In the green: Sabic (+5.5%), Saudi Chemical (+5.4%) and Avalon (+4.9%).

In the red: Cenomi Retail (-11%), Taqat (-9%) and AlRashid (-8.1%).

THE CLOSING BELL: NOMU-

The NomuCfell 0.1% yesterday on turnover of SAR 64.3 mn. The index is up 6.6% YTD.

In the green: Lana (+4.4%), AlQemam (+4.1%) and Tadweeer (+3.4%).

In the red: Riyadh Steel (-10%), Saudi Cable (-9.9%) and Astra (-6.2%).

Crown Prince discusses Gaza crisis with Spanish PM Sanchez + More aid by KSRelief to Gaza

#1- Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed developments in Gaza during a meeting with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. They discussed ongoing efforts for the cessation of Israeli military operations against the besieged Gaza strip and means to push the peace process forward. They also mulled bolstering bilateral ties between Saudi and Spain.

#2- More aid to Gaza: Saudi’s humanitarian agency KSRelief signed a USD 5 mn joint cooperation agreement with the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver food aid to the war torn Gaza, state news agency SPA reported yesterday. Some 377.8k people are set to benefit from the prepared foodstuffs delivered under the agreement. It comes weeks after KSRelief pledged to boost funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) by USD 40 mn amid a funds crunch on the back of allegations by Israel that the agency’s staff took part in 7 October attacks. It has previously provided USD 15 mn funding to UNRWA in November and USD 2 mn in October.

CALENDAR

APRIL

5 April (Friday): Start of Eid Al Fitr vacation for banks and stock market

8-11 April (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Super Cup, Abu Dhabi.

9 April (Tuesday): Start of Eid Al Fitr vacation for businesses

13 April (Friday): Last day of Eid Al Fitr — it’s business as usual from Saturday onward.

14-21 April (Sunday-Monday): IMF and World Bank spring meetings, Washington, DC

16 April (Tuesday): FEI World Cup Equestrian, Riyadh.

28-29 April (Sunday-Monday): World Economic Forum Special Meeting, Riyadh.

29 April-1 May: Future Hospitality Summit at Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh.

30 April-2 May: Automechanika Riyadh 2024 at Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center.

MAY

2-5 May (Thursday-Sunday): Townhall Expo, Riyadh.

6-9 May (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Smart Manufacturing, Riyadh.

6-9 May (Monday-Thursday): Saudi Smart Logistics, Riyadh.

13-15 May (Monday-Wednesday): Smart Future Expo, Riyadh.

13 May (Monday): Saudi Giga Projects, Riyadh.

19-21 May (Sunday-Tuesday): Saudi Energy Convention, Riyadh.

20-21 May (Monday-Tuesday): Future Projects Forum, Four Seasons Hotel, Riyadh.

21-23 May (Tuesday-Thursday): The Saudi Food Show, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in May:

Global Trade Review (GTR): KSA
Saudi Energy Convention

JUNE

4-7 June (Tuesday-Friday): Saudi Sports Show, Riyadh.

4-7 June (Tuesday-Friday): Aqarat Expo, Riyadh.

5 June (Wednesday): World Environment Day.

14-22 June (Friday-Saturday): Banks and capital markets closed for Eid Al Adha holiday.

AUGUST

12-15 August (Monday-Thursday): The Saudi Food Expo, Riyadh

SEPTEMBER

11-12 September (Wednesday-Thursday): The Saudi Event Show, Riyadh.

17-19 September (Tuesday-Thursday): EV Auto Show, Riyadh.

24-26 September (Tuesday-Thursday) Saudi Infrastructure Expo, Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, Riyadh.

23 September (Monday): National Day (national holiday)

NOVEMBER

26-28 November (Tuesday-Thursday): Saudi Electricity Expo, Riyadh.

11-14 November (Monday-Thursday): Cityscape Global, Riyadh.

DECEMBER

2-13 December (Monday-Friday): Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, Riyadh.

Signposted to happen sometime in 2024:

The AFC Champions League Elite

2025

FEBRUARY

10-13 February (Monday-Thursday): Leap 2025, the Kingdom’s premier tech investment conference

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