Saudi Arabia Economy Grew 3.9% In Q1 Boosted by Non-oil Activities

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. (AFP)
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Saudi Arabia Economy Grew 3.9% In Q1 Boosted by Non-oil Activities

A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia, February 20, 2022. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia's economy grew by 3.9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to initial government estimates of real gross domestic product published on Sunday.

Non-oil activities grew by 5.8% in the first quarter from a year prior, the General Authority for Statistics said, citing flash estimates, while oil activities grew by 1.3%. Government services activities grew by 4.9%, it said.

However growth slowed compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, when GDP grew 5.5% year-on-year.

Seasonally adjusted real GDP decreased by 1.3% in the first quarter of this year, compared with the previous quarter as a result of a decline in oil activities by 4.8%, the report said.

The IMF says the Saudi economy grew 8.7% last year, but projects that Saudi GDP growth will more than halve to 3.1%, this year.



Saudi PIF Completes $7 bln Inaugural Murabaha Credit Facility

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) logo
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) logo
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Saudi PIF Completes $7 bln Inaugural Murabaha Credit Facility

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) logo
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) logo

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) completed on Monday a $7 billion inaugural murabaha credit facility.
In a statement, PIF said the credit facility is supported by a syndicate of 20 international and regional financial institutions.
PIF head of the Global Capital Finance Division and head of Investment Strategy and Economic Insights Division Fahad AlSaif said: “This inaugural murabaha credit facility demonstrates the flexibility and depth of PIF’s financing strategy and use of diversified funding sources, as we continue to drive transformative investments, globally and in Saudi Arabia”, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
This financing complements PIF’s successful sukuk issuances over the past two years, the statement added. It also underpins PIF’s strong financial position, as well as its best-practice approach to debt financing.
PIF is rated Aa3 by Moody’s with stable outlook and A+ by Fitch with stable outlook. PIF has four main sources of funding: capital injections from government, government asset transfers, retained earnings from investments, and loans and debt instruments.