PIF Prices International Bond Offering at $5 Bn

Aerial view of Riyadh (Reuters)
Aerial view of Riyadh (Reuters)
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PIF Prices International Bond Offering at $5 Bn

Aerial view of Riyadh (Reuters)
Aerial view of Riyadh (Reuters)

Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) completed pricing a $5 billion Reg S international bond offering under its Euro Medium-Term Note Program, aligning with its strategy to diversify funding sources continually.
According to the Fund, the offering was over five times oversubscribed, with order books reaching $27 billion.
The offering comprised the following three tranches: $1.75 billion with a 5-year coupon maturing in 2029, $1.75 billion with a 10-year coupon maturing in 2034, and $1.5 billion with a 30-year coupon maturing in 2054.
Head of Global Capital Finance Division Fahad al-Saif said that continued strong demand from international institutional investors is a testament to the ongoing success of PIF's medium-term capital raising strategy.
He added that it reflects PIF's strong credit profile and financial strength, highlighting its role as one of the key drivers of Saudi Arabia's economic transformation and one of the most significant and impactful sovereign wealth funds globally.
Loans and debt instruments represent one of PIF's four sources of funding. PIF is rated A1 by Moody's with a positive outlook and A+ by Fitch with a stable outlook.
The Fund is one of the world's largest and most influential sovereign wealth funds, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heads its board of directors.
Since 2015, the Board of Directors of the Public Investment Fund has been reconstituted and placed under the direction of the newly formed Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA).
The step gave PIF greater autonomy and better-defined national strategic responsibilities.
The Fund also plays a pioneering role in advancing the transformation and diversification of the Saudi economy, in addition to its contribution to shaping the features of the future of the global economy.
The Fund has established more than 93 companies since 2017. It is working to build a diversified portfolio by entering into attractive, long-term investment opportunities in 13 strategic sectors at the local and international levels.
PIF's strategy aims to empower many promising sectors and contribute to increasing local content by creating partnerships with the private sector, in addition to pumping at least SR150 billion annually into the local economy.
It also works to transfer technologies, localize knowledge, and establish a prosperous and sustainable economy in the Kingdom.
As the investment arm of the Kingdom, the Fund has worked to enter into distinguished investments and build strategic alliances and partnerships with many prestigious global institutions and entities.
It contributed to achieving real long-term value for the Kingdom that is consistent with the objectives of Vision 2030.
The Public Investment Fund created an operational governance model that highlights its mission and main objectives, in line with the best international practice, as the application of this model enhances the level of transparency and effectiveness in decision-making and progress in the future.



China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
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China Widens Foreign Investment Incentive List to Stem Falling Inflows

People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)
People visit a shopping center in Beijing on December 20, 2025. (AFP)

China on Wednesday listed more sectors eligible for foreign investment incentives, from tax breaks to preferential ​land use, in its latest effort to stem a prolonged decline in overseas capital inflows.

Under the 2025 edition of the catalogue of industries for encouraging foreign investment, China added more than 200 and revised about 300, with a ‌focus on ‌advanced manufacturing, modern services and ‌green ⁠and ​high-tech ‌sectors, the list jointly issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and the commerce ministry showed.

The new catalogue, which takes effect on February 1, 2026, replaces the 2022 version and continues a policy framework ⁠that offers foreign-invested enterprises tariff exemptions on imported equipment, preferential ‌land pricing, reduced corporate income ‍tax rates in ‍designated regions and tax credits for reinvestment ‍of profits.

The catalogue also extends incentives to central and western regions, as well as the northeast and Hainan, as Beijing seeks to attract ​more foreign investment into less developed areas.

China has in recent months ⁠taken a raft of measures to boost foreign investment, including pilot programs in Beijing, Shanghai and other regions to expand market access in services such as telecoms, healthcare and education, amid trade tensions with the United States.

Foreign direct investment in China totaled 693.2 billion yuan ($98.84 billion) from January to November this year, down 7.5% from the ‌same period last year, data from the commerce ministry showed.


Environment Ministry Launches Saudi Citrus Season with Production Exceeding 158,000 Tons

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
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Environment Ministry Launches Saudi Citrus Season with Production Exceeding 158,000 Tons

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)
The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year. (SPA)

The Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture launched on Wednesday the Kingdom’s citrus season in local markets as part of its efforts to support and develop the agricultural sector and enhance food security in the country, in line with the Saudi Vision 2030.

The is part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to support national agricultural products, raise awareness of citrus varieties and their nutritional benefits and production areas, and highlight their year-round diversity across production seasons.

These efforts help in improving marketing efficiency, boost competitiveness, and achieve rewarding economic returns.

Citrus fruits are among the most widely cultivated crops in the Kingdom. They are grown in several regions that produce a variety of citrus types, most notably lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit, citron, and kumquats.

The ministry said lemon production leads Saudi citrus output, with total production exceeding 123,000 tons and more than 1.5 million fruit-bearing trees. Orange production follows, with total output reaching 35,700 tons and more than 397,000 fruit-bearing trees.

The citrus production season in the Kingdom begins in July and continues through March each year, it added.

The ministry said the Saudi citrus season has been launched with a number of major retail markets across the Kingdom showcasing local products through innovative packaging and display methods. This boosts the quality and reliability of local products and increases consumer demand during production seasons.


SLB Awarded 5-Year Contract to Stimulate Unconventional Gas in Saudi Arabia

SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SLB Awarded 5-Year Contract to Stimulate Unconventional Gas in Saudi Arabia

SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
SLB has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Global technology company, SLB, has been awarded a five-year contract by Saudi Aramco to provide stimulation services for its unconventional gas fields, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The move is part of a broader multi-billion contract, supporting one of the largest unconventional gas development programs globally, it said.

The contract encompasses advanced stimulation, well intervention, frac automation, and digital solutions, which are important to unlocking the potential of Saudi Arabia’s unconventional gas resources - a cornerstone of the Kingdom’s strategy to diversify its energy portfolio and support the global energy transition.

“This agreement is an important step forward in Aramco’s efforts to diversify its energy portfolio in line with Vision 2030 and energy transition goals,” said Steve Gassen, SLB executive vice president.

“With world-class technology, deep local expertise, and a proven track record in safety and service quality, SLB is well positioned to deliver tailored solutions that could help redefine operational performance in the development of Saudi Arabia’s unconventional resources,” he added.

These solutions provide the tools to work toward new performance benchmarks in unconventional gas development.

SLB is a global technology company that drives energy innovation for a balanced planet.

With a global footprint in more than 100 countries and employees representing almost twice as many nationalities, it works on innovating oil and gas, delivering digital at scale, decarbonizing industries, and developing and scaling new energy systems that accelerate the energy transition.