Brazilian-Saudi Investment Forum Witnesses Signing of 25 MoUs in Various Fields

The forum included presentations on Invest Saudi, a program that aims to promote investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia to the world. (SPA)
The forum included presentations on Invest Saudi, a program that aims to promote investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia to the world. (SPA)
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Brazilian-Saudi Investment Forum Witnesses Signing of 25 MoUs in Various Fields

The forum included presentations on Invest Saudi, a program that aims to promote investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia to the world. (SPA)
The forum included presentations on Invest Saudi, a program that aims to promote investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia to the world. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Investment organized on Monday in Sao Paulo the Brazilian-Saudi Investment Forum, which saw the signing of many memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in various fields, SPA said.
The 25 MoUs covered the fields of petrochemicals, healthcare, defense, food, real estate, tourism, water desalination and treatment, and agriculture.
Attending the Forum were Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Geraldo Alckmin; Saudi Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih; Mayor of Sao Paulo Ricardo Nunes; Saudi Ambassador to Brazil Faisal bin Ibrahim Ghulam; President of the Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo Josue Gomes; and a number of government officials, CEOs of major companies as well as representatives of the private sector from both countries.
The Forum constituted a significant opportunity for Saudi and Brazilian companies to exchange expertise, explore collaboration and partnership prospects and discover the investment opportunities available in the two countries.
The Forum also saw presentations about the “INVEST SAUDI” initiative, investment in the Kingdom’s economic zones, Riyadh Expo 2030, investment opportunities in Brazil and the investment environment in Sao Paulo.
Additionally, dialogue sessions were held during the Forum, covering the sectors of transportation, logistics services, mining, food industries, agriculture, healthcare, sports, and entertainment.



S&P Expects Saudi Issuances to Continue Domestically, Internationally Driven by Vision 2030

A view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
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S&P Expects Saudi Issuances to Continue Domestically, Internationally Driven by Vision 2030

A view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)
A view of the Saudi capital, Riyadh. (SPA)

S&P Global Ratings anticipates that Saudi issuers will continue to tap local and international capital markets to finance projects under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. The agency expects debt levels to remain manageable, with private sector debt-to-GDP ratios staying below 100% over the next 12 to 24 months.

According to S&P’s report, “Saudi Capital Market Overview: Rising Issuance Levels Are Just the Start”, Saudi companies have dominated issuance activity in recent years. Over the past five years, Saudi entities, including government-related entities, have accounted for roughly two-thirds of non-governmental US dollar-denominated issuances. However, the report predicted that banks will play an increasingly significant role in the future.

The report noted that Saudi issuers have raised over $130 billion in US dollar-denominated issuances over the last five years. This adds to $144 billion raised domestically in Saudi riyals during the same period, driven by Vision 2030 initiatives.

While the government accounts for about 60% of these issuances, the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 has created expansive opportunities in the non-oil economy and banking system, paving the way for future growth, the report underlined.

S&P highlighted the development of Saudi Arabia’s mortgage-backed securities market as a key factor to watch over the next two years. As of the end of September 2024, Saudi banks held more than $175 billion in mortgage financing, most of which carried fixed interest rates but were funded through short-term resources, primarily local deposits.

With declining interest rates, some of these mortgages could re-enter circulation, enabling banks to sell them in the secondary market without incurring losses. This would allow banks to offload mortgage financing from their balance sheets, provided legal challenges surrounding the mortgage-backed securities issuance are resolved or mitigated sufficiently to attract local and international investor interest.

According to the report, developing the mortgage-backed securities market could significantly enhance banks’ financial capacity, enabling them to better support the implementation of Vision 2030. This could occur through existing infrastructure, such as the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company, or via direct issuances in the capital markets.