From London, Tadawul Makes First Step towards the World

CEO of Saudi Tadawul Mohammed Al-Rumaih speaking during the conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO of Saudi Tadawul Mohammed Al-Rumaih speaking during the conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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From London, Tadawul Makes First Step towards the World

CEO of Saudi Tadawul Mohammed Al-Rumaih speaking during the conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)
CEO of Saudi Tadawul Mohammed Al-Rumaih speaking during the conference (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) took its first step toward the world, starting from London, with the launching of the EFG Hermes Saudi Forum on Monday, under the theme, “Looking for Sustainable Growth.”

Participants, including investors, businessmen and stakeholders, gathered on Monday at the Rosewood Hotel in central London, to discuss the investment climate, the available opportunities, and the promising investment components that are unique to the Saudi economy.

The conference, which concludes on Tuesday, is organized by EFG Hermes, in cooperation with the Saudi Tadawul, in the presence of 375 guests, including representatives from more than 50 Saudi companies from various vital sectors, the Saudi Capital Market Authority, and the Public Investment Fund, in addition to 200 investors from more than 120 international financial institutions, and a group of the most prominent fund managers around the world.

Among the guests are the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Capital Market Authority, Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Kuwaiz, the CEO of Saudi Tadawul, Mohammed Al-Rumaih, the CEO of EFG Holding Group, Karim Awad, the co-CEO of EFG Hermes, Mohammed Ebeid, and the CEO For EFG Hermes in Saudi Arabia, Saud Altassan.

Al-Kuwaiz and Al-Rumaih spoke in two successive sessions about the importance of the Saudi financial market and the developments it has achieved at all levels.

The speakers stressed that Saudi Arabia had one of the largest emerging markets in terms of market capitalization, as its market value exceeded $3 trillion in September 2023.

They added that the Saudi financial market has attracted increasing foreign inflows since its inclusion in the main global indices, such as the MSCI Emerging Markets Index during 2019, and the FTSE Russell Emerging Markets Index during 2018.

For his part, Ebeid explained that the conference serves as a platform to showcase investment opportunities in the Saudi market, which is supported by the diversity of economic sectors, as well as the transformation initiatives launched by the government within the framework of Vision 2030.

The conference offers a unique opportunity to strengthen ties and provide a direct link between companies listed on the Saudi market and investors in emerging markets, which reflects the major role that EFG Hermes plays in supporting economic growth in the Kingdom and developing the capital market, he added.



Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
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Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, has agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion with European firms and is in talks to attract more foreign capital, its CEO said.

Diriyah, located at a UNESCO World Heritage site outside the capital Riyadh, has been backed by PIF investments worth a total of around 20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion) in 2023 and 2024, and should get 12 billion riyals more next year, its CEO said.

It has recently agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion in total with an Italian developer and a French company and is in talks with several foreign investors looking to buy equity stakes in hotels and other real estate developments, Jerry Inzerillo told Reuters in New York this week.

"There's a lot of interest from America, a lot of interest from every country," he said. "We'll work with any country that can deliver quality and stay on time."

Foreign investors have already bought stakes in several projects in Diriyah, said Inzerillo, with more to come.

"A lot of people can see that it's built, it's doable; it's no longer renderings, no longer 'you wait and see' ... So now we're seeing a big spike in interest in foreign investment".

Inzerillo said investment priorities have changed because of upcoming events such as the Expo 2030 world fair, which Riyadh last year won the right to host. But the pace and scope of the Saudi giga-projects have not been scaled back, he said.

"It's a realignment, a re-prioritization ... not a reduction," he added.