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Moody’s Affirms Saudi Arabia's 'A1' Credit Rating with 'Positive' Outlook

File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
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Moody’s Affirms Saudi Arabia's 'A1' Credit Rating with 'Positive' Outlook

File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi capital Riyadh - File/AAWSAT

The international credit rating agency" Moody's" has affirmed Saudi Arabia's credit rating at “A1" with positive outlook.

In its latest report report, the agency said the rating affirmation is based on its assessment of the government's significant progress that achieved in implementing broad-based reform agenda since 2016 and the track record of macroeconomic and fiscal policy effectiveness that will support the sustainability of the economic diversification.

The agency said it expects the continued implementation of large diversification projects in the Kingdom will support non-hydrocarbon real GDP growth as they are designed to be modular and commercialized in phases.

It also also said the positive outlook is a reflection of the reforms and investments in various non-oil sectors that will, over time, lead to a material decline in the Kingdoms economic and fiscal reliance on hydrocarbons.

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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
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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.