Saudi Arabia’s PIF Makes Efforts to Enhance Local Investors’ Participation in its Projects

Diriyah Project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Diriyah Project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia’s PIF Makes Efforts to Enhance Local Investors’ Participation in its Projects

Diriyah Project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Diriyah Project of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been making strong efforts to enhance the participation of local contractors in the projects of the fund’s affiliates, to enable establishments to carry out development work in accordance with the highest quality standards.

In June, the Saudi Contractors Authority, in cooperation with the fund, launched the contractor pre-qualification program for the fund’s units.

The program aims to provide various services and facilities, enabling contractors to pre-qualify under the applicable technical standards. It will also provide a highly reliable indicator for PIF’s affiliates to implement construction projects with the local private sector.

According to official information, PIF is currently working with the Saudi Contractors Authority of the Federation of Saudi Chambers to hold a number of workshops across the Kingdom to introduce the fund’s projects and facilitate the registration mechanism.

The Saudi Contractors Authority (SCA) had urged all contractors to register in Muqawil portal to start pre-qualification for various projects under PIF’s affiliates program.

According to a statement by the SCA, the pre-qualification program enhances contractor opportunities by undertaking quality projects for the sovereign wealth fund’s affiliates. The service offers a platform that includes several of PIF’s units in a unified pre-qualification program.

The program also seeks to enhance competitiveness and transparency in the contracting sector and allows development of existing and future projects, in line with the highest quality standards, the statement added.

Meanwhile, the SCA and DMG Events concluded on Thursday an agreement to organize the Saudi Infrastructure Summit 2023 during the Saudi Infrastructure Exhibition on Sept. 11-13 in Riyadh.

The summit will focus on the revolutionary transformation of the infrastructure in the Kingdom with the participation of more than 60 influential speakers and 400 international and local experts.



UK Inflation Holds at 2.2% in August as BoE Considers Rates

Pedestrians walk across Oxford Street in London, Britain, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Pedestrians walk across Oxford Street in London, Britain, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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UK Inflation Holds at 2.2% in August as BoE Considers Rates

Pedestrians walk across Oxford Street in London, Britain, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Pedestrians walk across Oxford Street in London, Britain, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

British inflation stood at an annual rate of 2.2% in August, unchanged from July, but price growth in the services sector - closely watched by the Bank of England - picked up, official figures showed on Wednesday.

A Reuters poll of economists had forecast annual consumer price inflation would remain at 2.2%.

The BoE, which cut interest rates to 5% on Aug. 1, had expected inflation of 2.4% in August before rising to around 2.75% by the end of this year.

The British central bank is due to announce its latest decision on interest rates on Thursday.
"Years of sky-high inflation have taken their toll; and prices are still much higher than four years ago," Darren Jones, a junior minister at the Treasury, said, adding that more manageable inflation was welcome.

Services inflation - an indicator of domestic price pressures - rose to 5.6% from 5.2% in July. The Reuters poll had pointed to a smaller rise to 5.5%.

Sterling strengthened against the dollar immediately after the inflation data was published.