PIF Establishes ‘Tasaru Mobility Investments’ in Saudi Arabia

Logo of Tasaru Mobility Investments (PIF)
Logo of Tasaru Mobility Investments (PIF)
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PIF Establishes ‘Tasaru Mobility Investments’ in Saudi Arabia

Logo of Tasaru Mobility Investments (PIF)
Logo of Tasaru Mobility Investments (PIF)

Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) has launched the National Automotive and Mobility Investment Company (Tasaru Mobility Investments), an investment company focused on developing local supply chain capabilities for the automotive and mobility industry.

Tasaru Mobility Investments will lead strategic investments and partnerships with local and international private sector companies in Saudi Arabia.

It aims to support the sector's growth and achieve long-term returns by localizing manufacturing expertise and advanced technologies that will empower the electric car and autonomous mobility ecosystem in the Kingdom.

The new company will support the Kingdom's efforts to become a global leader in this vital sector by boosting local capabilities.

The establishment of Tasaru Mobility Investments is in line with the Fund's strategy to stimulate the capabilities of the automotive sector in the Kingdom, thus enhancing the Kingdom's global competitiveness and ultimately positioning it as a global leader in the industry.

The Fund's portfolio includes many specialized investments in the future mobility sector, including investment in Ceer company, the first Saudi national brand for manufacturing electric cars, in partnership with Foxconn.

On September 27, US-based Lucid Motors opened its first global factory to produce electric cars in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), with plans to reach its capacity of 155,000 vehicles annually.

Michael Mueller was appointed CEO of Tasaru Mobility Investment. He brings over 25 years of experience in the automotive industry, having previously held many senior management positions in several major companies, such as the Porsche AG and the Volkswagen Group in the Kingdom and Europe.

Tasaru Mobility Investment will launch its first investment through a joint project with Zamil Group Real Estate Company, Abdullah Ibrahim al-Khorayef Sons, and Dar al-Himma Projects Limited.

The project aims to develop a logistics center in King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), serving the aftermarket parts industry.

Tasaru Mobility Investments will be a majority shareholder in the new venture, leveraging special economic zone advantages and playing a pivotal role in attracting global suppliers and enhancing trade.

The investment complements KAEC's ambition to become an automotive manufacturing and logistics hub.

Co-head of MENA Direct Investments at PIF and Chairman of Tasaru Mobility Investments Omar al-Madhi announced that Tasaru Mobility Investments aims to enhance the local supply chain and manufacturing capabilities.

Omar noted it would strengthen the end-to-end ecosystem for Saudi Arabia's electric vehicle and autonomous mobility industries.

"The company's establishment demonstrates PIF's commitments to diversify the economy, improve sustainability, and localize technology and sector-specific knowledge."

Tasaru will support research and development, increase the adoption of advanced technologies, and pursue sustainable opportunities in the sector.

By accelerating the transition to electric vehicles and future mobility solutions, the company will make an essential contribution towards Saudi Arabia's environmental objectives, including its net zero 2060 target and PIF's net zero 2050 target.



Record-Breaking Bitcoin Surges Towards $90,000 on Trump Boost

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP)
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP)
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Record-Breaking Bitcoin Surges Towards $90,000 on Trump Boost

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP)
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP)

Bitcoin rallied to the verge of $90,000 on Tuesday, riding a wave of euphoria since the election of Donald Trump as US president on expectations his administration will be crypto friendly.

The world's biggest cryptocurrency has become one of the most eye-catching movers in the week since the election and touched $89,982 - a gain of around 30% since Nov. 5. It was last down 1.4% at $86,730.

Bitcoin is surging along with Elon Musk's automaker Tesla, which is up nearly 40% since voting results rolled in, as investors figure Trump's friends and interests will do well while he is in office.

"The crypto enthusiasts think they have a like-minded incoming president," said Alvin Tan, head of Asia FX strategy at RBC Capital Markets.

"The thing about bitcoin at the end of the day is that there is no valuation anchor to it, it's hard to get a grip on fair value. So when sentiment is very positive, it does get carried away a lot more than other asset classes."

Trump embraced digital assets during his campaign, promising to make the United States the "crypto capital of the planet" and to accumulate a national stockpile of bitcoin.

It is not clear how or when that could happen, but the possibility drove a speculative surge in crypto mining and trading stocks.

"I think it increases the chances that other nation states buy bitcoin in a bid to front run the US," said Matthew Dibb, chief investment officer at cryptocurrency asset manager Astronaut Capital.

"Additionally, I think it would be a crazy catalyst for the US listed bitcoin miners ... given possibilities of such entities getting nationalized."

Crypto miner Riot Platforms jumped nearly 17% on Wall Street on Monday. Fellow miners MARA Holdings and CleanSpark leapt nearly 30%.

Software company and investor in bitcoin MicroStrategy announced it had spent about $2 billion buying bitcoin between Oct. 31 and Nov. 10. Shares rose 26% on Monday.

"Obviously (it's) a clear Trump trade as he is so supportive of the industry, and this can only mean more demand both for crypto stocks as well as the currencies themselves," Nick Twidale, chief market analyst at ATFX Global in Sydney, said of the bitcoin rally.

"The fact that bitcoin was trading near all-time highs when the election result came through meant that it had clean sky above."

The euphoria extended across the crypto landscape with smaller tokens such as ether and dogecoin surging, although they dipped on Tuesday morning in Europe.

Crypto investors see an end to increased scrutiny under US Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler whom Trump has said he will replace. Trump also unveiled a new crypto business, World Liberty Financial, in September.

"What we're seeing isn't just a price milestone; it's a signal that the market is warming to the idea of bitcoin as a more stable, even politically favored, asset," said Justin D'Anethan, head of Asia-Pacific business development at digital assets market maker Keyrock.