Saudi ROSHN Equips Residences with Eco-friendly Car Chargers

ROSHN Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani (Turky Al-Agili)
ROSHN Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani (Turky Al-Agili)
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Saudi ROSHN Equips Residences with Eco-friendly Car Chargers

ROSHN Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani (Turky Al-Agili)
ROSHN Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani (Turky Al-Agili)

The Saudi company ROSHN, owned by the Public Investment Fund, is strengthening its role as a key contributor to the national real estate sector by developing eco-friendly, fully serviced housing.

The company is equipping its buildings with thermal insulation, solar heating systems, and electric vehicle chargers in alignment with the goals of Vision 2030, which aims to build a diversified and sustainable economy.

Speaking with Asharq Al-Awsat at the Cityscape Global exhibition in Riyadh, ROSHN Chief Development Officer Oussama Kabbani emphasized that environmental sustainability is not just an option but a national responsibility that every real estate developer must take seriously.

“Any project that does not adhere to sustainability standards risks causing environmental harm rather than improving conditions,” he said.

ROSHN’s sustainability efforts extend beyond environmental aspects to supporting local industries, following the Public Investment Fund’s guidelines. Kabbani explained that all natural resources used in the company’s projects should be sourced, manufactured, or processed within the Kingdom whenever possible, with imports considered only if local resources are unavailable.

In construction, Kabbani revealed that ROSHN homes are equipped with thermal insulation to reduce electricity consumption, as well as solar heating systems that contribute to environmental protection. In the future, many of these homes will also feature electric vehicle chargers, supporting green transportation.

The company’s commitment to a “green” approach is central to its environmental strategy, he said, prioritizing extensive landscaping throughout its projects by planting trees and greenery along pathways and in parks.

According to Kabbani, this initiative “not only reduces carbon emissions but also creates more beautiful and healthier environments for residents, enhancing quality of life in these communities.”

He further noted that residential communities will include surrounding schools, mosques, and social and sports facilities, ensuring a comprehensive living environment.

In alignment with Vision 2030, ROSHN is working to support the goal of increasing homeownership among Saudi citizens to 70 percent. In collaboration with government agencies, the company is focused on providing affordable housing for middle-income families, with homes of various sizes to meet the diverse needs of citizens according to their financial capacities.

What sets ROSHN apart, according to Kabbani, is its transformation from a traditional real estate developer to a comprehensive housing manufacturer, with many homes being prefabricated. The company is currently building two factories on its sites to produce prefabricated building components. This approach boosts industrial efficiency and boosts demand for local products such as kitchens, doors, concrete, and aluminum, positively impacting the local economy.

Kabbani noted that while ROSHN’s projects span all regions of the Kingdom, the focus remains on Riyadh as the capital and primary hub for investment and rapid growth.

He added: “We believe that the markets in Makkah, Jeddah, Dammam, and surrounding areas are promising, and we expect to see results from our investments in these cities by the end of the year.”

On Monday, ROSHN launched its new brand identity and updated strategy, introducing new categories of real estate assets. This shift opens up broad opportunities for establishing new business sectors aimed at attracting fresh investors and partners.



AI Borrowing Binge Rattles US Markets

Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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AI Borrowing Binge Rattles US Markets

Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Tech giants are raising debt to finance the construction of data centers that power AI. Brandon Bell / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

The world's richest companies can no longer rely on their massive cash piles alone to stay in the artificial intelligence race and have suddenly started borrowing massively in a shift that is sending repercussions across the world.

Rising US interest rates, including on the Treasury bonds that anchor the global economy, are sending tremors through the financial world, and some analysts point to the AI borrowing bonanza as one of the culprits, said AFP.

From next to nothing in 2024, tech sector borrowing has reached around $500 billion in the nine months since January, as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and others raise debt hand over fist to finance the chips, servers and data centers that power AI.

Goldman Sachs expects a further ramp-up in 2027, to $1.2 trillion.

"This is not something that we've seen before," said Chris Della Fave, senior vice president at fundraising advisory firm Post Oak Group, who estimates that AI now accounts for 25 percent of all corporate bond issuance, up from 4 percent two years ago.

In inflation-adjusted terms, the AI sector is expected to borrow more this year than US cable operators did to build out the entire internet, or than railroad companies did during the 19th-century US rail boom.

So far, investors have eagerly snapped up the chance to lend to the tech giants, but they have demanded returns that would have been unthinkable for such blue-chip companies not long ago.

Even Meta has had to offer more than 7 percent a year, while riskier cloud data center specialists have gone above 9 percent.

The impact reaches well beyond the companies building AI -- their debt is even starting to crowd out demand for the US government bonds that anchor the financial system.

An investor who might otherwise buy a US Treasury bond "might decide to buy Microsoft" instead, said Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert Financial, referring to the tech giant's bonds.

That shift pushes up the rates Washington pays to borrow, he explained.

This adds to the other force driving up US borrowing costs: inflation, fueled by the war against Iran and high energy prices.

The interest rate on 10-year US government bonds -- Wall Street's benchmark and widely seen as the most important number in global finance, setting the tone for everything from mortgages to car loans -- is now above 5.30 percent, its highest level since 2002.

- 'Sharper correction' -

Adding to the volatility, hedge funds had piled into US government bonds like never before, holding 7 percent of all those in circulation at the end of 2025, though that share has since fallen.

Hedge funds, which place big bets on markets, move their money far faster than more cautious investors such as insurers and pension funds.

Even if the war and the oil situation stabilized, Della Fave said, "I wouldn't expect the yields to dramatically reduce, to be honest, because of this influence of the AI debt situation."

Beyond the rising cost of borrowing, some are questioning the risks of betting on an AI boom that could hit a wall, as the dot-com bubble did in 2000.

Even a moderate slowdown in the frenzied pace of construction, delays on certain projects or weaker-than-expected revenue growth could trigger a shock in financial markets, Malek warned.

In late September, the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee warned that "the risk of a sharper correction persists," particularly if concerns about the pace of AI development or adoption hit earnings expectations.

In July, amid some second-guessing about the AI boom, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index fell nearly 7 percent.

Against this backdrop, cloud specialist Oracle is sometimes seen as a bellwether.

With massive debt ($125 billion), cash reserves that shrink every quarter and a possible delay on a huge data center project in New Mexico, several warning lights are flashing for Larry Ellison's group.

"Let's say Oracle has a problem... They can't pay for something," Malek said. Trouble with its debt "could trigger contagion" across AI finance as a whole, he added.


Gold Inches Lower as Firmer Dollar, Higher Yields Weigh

A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
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Gold Inches Lower as Firmer Dollar, Higher Yields Weigh

A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)
A woman passes in front of a gold shop in Hong Kong (AFP)

Gold eased on Tuesday, pressured by a firmer US dollar and rising Treasury yields, though losses were limited by easing expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate hike this month.

Spot gold slipped 0.3% to $4,128.69 per ounce by 0155 GMT. US gold futures were little changed at $4,156.00.

The dollar held firm, making greenback-denominated commodities more expensive for holders of other ‌currencies, Reuters said.

The 10- ‌and 30-year Treasury yields hit 24-year ‌highs ⁠on Monday as persistent ⁠bond market weakness weighed on sentiment.

"Fundamentals remain supportive of gold in the long term. The next big catalyst is likely to stem from geopolitical risk in the Middle East," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at Capital.com.

"Alternatively, a significant change in US rate expectations could provide an ⁠impetus for the next break-out, so every ‌piece of price data will ‌be important."

Expectations of a US rate hike in October eased ‌after data on Friday showed US job growth slowed ‌more than expected in September and nonfarm payrolls for the prior two months were revised lower.

Traders are still pricing an 87% probability of an increase in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool.

Higher ‌interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding gold.

Data showed US services sector activity ⁠slowed ⁠in September, while strong domestic demand stretched supply chains and pushed a measure of prices paid by businesses for inputs to its highest level in more than four years, suggesting inflation could remain elevated into 2027.

Elsewhere, Yemeni government forces staged a lightning advance to retake the coast around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait up to the city of Mocha, the government said, pushing the Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the areas they seized last month.

Among other metals, spot silver fell 0.6% to $60.67, platinum lost 0.7% to $1,710.08 and palladium eased 0.2% to $1,170.15.


Oil Stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fall to Lowest Level since 1982

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
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Oil Stocks in US Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fall to Lowest Level since 1982

Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)
Crude oil, gasoline, and diesel storage tanks at Kinder Morgan's facility in Los Angeles (Reuters)

Stocks of crude oil in the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 283 million barrels last week, the lowest level since October 1982, according to data from the Department of Energy, Reuters reported.

The drawdowns are part of a US agreement to release 172 million barrels from the facility.

Additionally, the Trump administration last week said it is offering to loan energy companies 40 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.