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IMF Approves Egypt's Expanded, $8 Bln Loan Program

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a crowd and shops at Al Ataba, a market in central Cairo, Egypt February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a crowd and shops at Al Ataba, a market in central Cairo, Egypt February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
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IMF Approves Egypt's Expanded, $8 Bln Loan Program

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a crowd and shops at Al Ataba, a market in central Cairo, Egypt February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a crowd and shops at Al Ataba, a market in central Cairo, Egypt February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany/File Photo

Egypt received approval on Friday from the International Monetary Fund's executive board for an expanded, $8 billion financial support program that enables the immediate release of $820 million, the IMF said in a statement.
"The difficult external environment generated by Russia’s war in Ukraine was subsequently aggravated by the conflict in Gaza and Israel, as well as tensions in the Red Sea," the IMF statement said.
The agreement expanded on an earlier $3 billion, 46-month Extended Fund Facility signed in December 2022 which was put on hold after Egypt did not follow through on pledges to unpeg its currency, speed up the sale of state assets and implement other reforms.
The expanded agreement was first announced on March 6, when Egypt's central bank hiked key interest rates by six percentage points and allowed the country's currency to plummet against the dollar.
"A strong economic stabilization plan is being implemented to correct policy slippages," the IMF said, focusing on a liberalized foreign exchange system, tightening of fiscal and monetary policy, reduced public investment and greater space for the private sector.
This would include a continued reduction of subsidies, which consume a large portion of government expenditures. Last week Egypt raised prices on a wide range of fuel products.
"It remains essential to replace untargeted fuel subsidies with targeted social spending as part of a sustained fuel price adjustment package," the IMF statement said.
The IMF also said Egypt had established a new framework to monitor and control public investment that would help manage excess demand, but that the state and military would need to withdraw from economic activity.
"Integrating transparently off-budget investment into macroeconomic policy decision making will be critical," it added.

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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
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Revenue Growth, Improved Operational Efficiency Boost Profitability of Saudi Telecom Companies

A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)
A man monitors the movement of stocks on the Saudi Tadawul index. (AFP)

Telecommunications companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) achieved a 12.46 percent growth in their net profits, which reached SAR 4.07 billion ($1.09 billion) during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.62 billion ($965 million) during the same period last year.

They also recorded a 4.76 percent growth in revenues during the same quarter, after achieving sales worth more than SAR 26.18 billion ($7 billion), compared to SAR 24.99 billion ($6.66 billion) in the same quarter of 2023.

The growth in the revenues and net profitability is the result of several factors, including the increase in sales volume and revenues, especially in the business sector and fifth generation services, as well as the decrease in operating expenses and the focus on improving operational efficiency, controlling costs, and moving towards investment in infrastructure.

The sector comprises four companies, three of which conclude their fiscal year in December: Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Mobily, and Zain Saudi Arabia. The fiscal year of Etihad Atheeb Telecommunications Company (GO) ends on March 31.

According to its financial results announced on Tadawul, Etihad Etisalat Company (Mobily) achieved a 33 percent growth rate of profits, bringing its profits to SAR 661 million by the end of the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 497 million during the same period in 2023. The company also achieved a 4.59 percent growth in revenues to reach SAR 4.47 billion, compared to SAR 4.27 billion in the same quarter of last year.

The Saudi Telecom Company achieved the highest net profits among the sector’s companies, at about SAR 3.304 billion in the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 3.008 billion in the same quarter of 2023. The company registered a growth of 4.52 percent in revenues.

On the other hand, the revenues of the Saudi Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain Saudi Arabia) increased by about 6.69 percent, as it recorded SAR 2.55 billion during the second quarter of 2024, compared to SAR 2.39 billion in the same period last year.

Commenting on the quarterly results of the sector’s companies, and the varying net profits, the head of asset management at Rassanah Capital, Thamer Al-Saeed, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Saudi Telecom Company remains the sector leader in terms of customer base expansion.

He also noted the continued efforts of Mobily and Zain to offer many diverse products and other services.

Financial advisor at the Arab Trader Mohammed Al-Maymouni said the financial results of telecom sector companies have maintained a steady growth, up to 12 percent, adding that Mobily witnessed strong progress compared to the rest of the companies, despite the great competition which affected its revenues.

He added that Zain was moving at a good pace and its revenues have improved during the second quarter of 2024. However, its profits were affected by an increase in the financing cost by SAR 26.5 million riyals and a rise in interest, while net income declined significantly compared to the previous year, during which the company made exceptional returns.