Saudi Rasan to Sell Shares on Tadawul

Rasan’s pavilion at the Leap 24 international conference in Riyadh (from the company’s account on X)
Rasan’s pavilion at the Leap 24 international conference in Riyadh (from the company’s account on X)
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Saudi Rasan to Sell Shares on Tadawul

Rasan’s pavilion at the Leap 24 international conference in Riyadh (from the company’s account on X)
Rasan’s pavilion at the Leap 24 international conference in Riyadh (from the company’s account on X)

The Saudi Rasan Information Technology Company intends to offer 22.74 million shares on the Tadawul Stock Exchange, 10 percent of which will be allocated to individual subscribers, at the price of SAR 35-37 riyals per share.

MAGNiTT research company estimated that the market value of Rasan would reach around $750 million, after the expected offering of 30 percent of its capital in the main Saudi market (Tadawul), thus becoming one of the sector’s largest companies in the region.

Rasan is one of 216 new fintech companies that have been established in Saudi Arabia since 2016. The cumulative total of venture capital investments in this sector exceeded SAR 6.9 billion ($1.84 billion).

The company, which was founded in 2016 and operates in the financial and insurance technology sectors, achieved a compound annual growth in net profit at a rate of 332 percent between 2020 and 2023. Its revenues at the end of 2023 amounted to SAR 256 million ($68.3 million).

Rasan operates online insurance platforms such as Tameeni and Treza. In 2021 it closed an investment round of SAR 90 million led by Impact46, a Saudi alternative asset manager.

The insurance sector in Saudi Arabia has grown over the past year, as the profits of listed insurance companies increased during the first quarter of 2024 by 50 percent compared to the same period last year, to record SAR 910 million ($242 million).

On the other hand, the Rasan IPO is the seventh and last in the month of May, during which new listings were active on the Saudi Financial Market (Tadawul). The period for individuals to subscribe to the company’s shares begins on Wednesday May 29, and continues until the evening of the following day.

Saudi Arabia is looking to increase the pace of listings in the financial market, by offering 24 companies over the course of 2024, according to the annual report of the Financial Sector Development Program of Vision 2030.



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.