PIF Delivers Strong Revenue and Profit Growth in 2025

(PIF)
(PIF)
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PIF Delivers Strong Revenue and Profit Growth in 2025

(PIF)
(PIF)

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) published its 2025 Annual Report, demonstrating strong financial performance and continued progress against its long-term objectives. As a long-term investor with a unique mandate to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia and deliver sustainable financial returns, PIF maintained a diversified portfolio in 2025, balancing returns with national impact and long-term resilience.

In 2025, revenue rose 9% year on year to $120 billion, while net profit more than doubled to $17 billion, supported by stronger contributions from maturing portfolio companies. PIF retained over $900 billion in assets under management and achieved an annualized total shareholder return of 5.8% since 2017, SPA reported.

Total shareholder return in 2025 was positively driven by increased dividends from portfolio companies and returns from financial investments. It was also impacted by downward movements in the valuations of some assets, driven by broader market conditions, while PIF continued to make long-term local investments to drive economic transformation.

PIF demonstrated its access to diversified and efficient sources of funding throughout the year, including issuance of a debut euro-denominated green bond and the establishment of a commercial paper program to provide flexible short-term finance.

PIF continued to hold strong long-term ratings with Moody’s (Aa3, stable outlook) and Fitch (A+, stable outlook) while securing an inaugural A-1 short-term rating from S&P, reflecting PIF’s strong credit profile and reinforcing investor confidence.

PIF launched major new companies in 2025, including HUMAIN, marking a major step in advancing AI capabilities, and Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, to build and operate Riyadh’s Expo 2030 facilities as Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome the world.

PIF also continued to develop priority sectors and ecosystems and deepen private sector participation. From 2021 to 2025, PIF invested more than $199 billion in Saudi Arabia, as it continued to drive the country’s economic transformation.

Chief of Staff and Secretary General to the Board at PIF Maram Aljohani said: “Throughout 2025, PIF continued to drive Saudi Arabia’s economic development and diversification through long-term investments and the launch of strategic companies. PIF contributed 11% of Saudi Arabia’s total non-oil GDP in 2025 and contributed more than $342 billion cumulatively from 2021-2025.

“PIF also expanded its international presence in 2025 through the opening of new subsidiary company offices in Europe and Asia and through targeted investments across key markets, resulting in a 12% growth in its international investments. This progress was underpinned by continued institutional excellence and robust governance frameworks, as PIF accelerated its evolution into a fully digital-native, AI-enabled investment institution and reinforced its position among the world’s leading sovereign wealth funds in Global SWF’s 2025 governance, sustainability, and resilience (GSR) rankings.

“Over the next strategic phase, PIF is evolving towards six interconnected domestic ecosystems to drive sustainable value, while investing internationally in high-conviction opportunities in long-term global trends.”

Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Global Capital Finance Division at PIF Yasir Alsalman said: “Building on a sustained period of growth and disciplined investment, 2025 marked another defining year for PIF. In 2025, PIF more than doubled net profit year on year and maintained its strong financial position with over $900 billion in assets under management.

“PIF continued to deploy capital across priority sectors, with cumulative domestic deployment reaching more than $199 billion between 2021 and 2025, while deepening strategic international partnerships, including signing multiple agreements with the world’s leading asset managers, in 2025.

“As we enter the next five-year phase of our investment strategy, PIF will continue to drive sustained value creation, portfolio maturity and stronger financial performance through the six ecosystems of its Vision portfolio, as well as its Strategic and Financial portfolios.”

PIF continued to deploy capital internationally across strategic sectors, including infrastructure, technology, advanced manufacturing, and financial services, while bringing capital, knowledge, and expertise to Saudi Arabia.

In 2025, PIF signed agreements with Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Macquarie Asset Management and SACE, among others, driving capital mobilization and inward investment into Saudi Arabia and expanding PIF’s strong strategic relationships with leading global financial institutions.

To deepen engagement in priority markets, PIF expanded its global presence by opening new subsidiary offices in Paris, Beijing and Shanghai, adding to its existing footprint in London, New York and Hong Kong.

According to SPA, throughout 2025, PIF continued to drive institutional development, embedding advanced data, analytics and AI across its operating model. Throughout the year, PIF launched 100 new digital applications and activated 43 high-impact AI-enabled solutions, while strengthening secure infrastructure and expanding centralized digital platforms that enhance investment insight, operational efficiency, and institutional agility.

Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation company, ranked PIF as the most valuable and fastest-growing brand in the world among all sovereign wealth funds, with an A+ rating, for the second consecutive year.

2025 marked the last year of PIF’s 2021-2025 strategy. PIF has now moved into the next phase of its long-term strategy - PIF’s 2026-2030 strategy - focused on delivering competitive ecosystems, unlocking the full potential of strategic assets and maximizing long-term returns.

In this next phase, PIF will continue to deploy capital strategically and at scale to drive long-term value realization, including in domestic ecosystems and high-conviction international opportunities across global themes such as AI, energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and sports and entertainment.



Gold Ticks Up on Softer Dollar, but Heads for Weekly Fall

FILE PHOTO: Gold bangles are displayed inside a jewelry store in the old quarters of Delhi, India, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bangles are displayed inside a jewelry store in the old quarters of Delhi, India, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo
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Gold Ticks Up on Softer Dollar, but Heads for Weekly Fall

FILE PHOTO: Gold bangles are displayed inside a jewelry store in the old quarters of Delhi, India, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bangles are displayed inside a jewelry store in the old quarters of Delhi, India, May 11, 2026. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo

Gold edged higher on Friday as the dollar weakened, but the metal was still on track for a small weekly loss as investors weighed signals from the Federal Reserve on interest rates.

Spot gold rose 0.2% to $4,179.19 per ounce by 0633 GMT, but was down 0.4% so far in the week. US gold futures for ‌December delivery climbed ‌0.7% to $4,200.50.

"Gold has been trapped in a ‌range ⁠of $4,221, with the ⁠bottom of the range at $4,075 being met earlier this week," said Kelvin Wong, a senior market analyst at OANDA.

"Inflationary trends still remain hot as the core CPI data and core PPI data for September are hitting beyond expectations."

The US dollar headed for its first weekly fall in five weeks, making greenback-priced bullion more ⁠affordable for buyers overseas.

US producer prices increased by ‌the most in 4-1/2 years ‌last month amid rising costs for goods and services, in the latest sign ‌that inflationary pressures are broadening beyond energy-related products.

The data followed ‌Wednesday's consumer price report, which showed prices accelerated in September on a surge in gasoline costs.

Traders are pricing in a 13% probability of a rate hike later this month and 89% chance of an increase ‌in December, according to CME's FedWatch Tool.

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh voiced optimism on Friday about ⁠US economic strength ⁠and surprise about how well global economies have been "hanging in there" amid recent geopolitical shocks, despite tighter monetary policy to fight inflation.

However, Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said this week's stronger-than-expected inflation data had been "discouraging".

While gold is considered a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates reduce the appeal of the non-yielding asset.

Elsewhere, several large Indian mutual funds issued public notices late on Thursday suspending bulk subscriptions to gold exchange-traded funds.

Among other metals, spot silver rose 0.5% to $57.73 per ounce, platinum gained 0.3% to $1,630.56 and palladium was up 0.8% at $1,135.11. However, all three metals headed for weekly losses.


ACWA to Asharq Al-Awsat: Energy Storage Key to Saudi Renewable Expansion

Sakaka Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant (ACWA). 
Sakaka Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant (ACWA). 
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ACWA to Asharq Al-Awsat: Energy Storage Key to Saudi Renewable Expansion

Sakaka Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant (ACWA). 
Sakaka Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant (ACWA). 

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA is expanding its renewable energy, electricity storage and water desalination projects as the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and data centers drives up power demand and increases the need for reliable, efficient and competitively priced electricity.

Omar al-Hassan, ACWA CEO in Saudi Arabia, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the accelerating expansion of AI and data centers was reshaping the energy sector’s requirements.

The challenge is no longer limited to generating more electricity, he explained, but also involves ensuring a continuous supply, operational efficiency and competitive costs.

ACWA is developing projects that combine renewable energy and storage with solutions to strengthen supply reliability, drawing on its experience in large-scale power and water projects.

The company’s total power generation capacity stands at 98.2 gigawatts, while its desalination portfolio has a capacity of 9.7 million cubic meters per day.

Al-Hassan also highlighted ACWA’s efforts to harness digital technologies and AI to improve the performance of its assets, going beyond meeting rising electricity demand to developing more efficient and reliable solutions.

Storage supports renewable energy expansion

As Saudi Arabia expands its solar and wind projects, electricity storage is becoming increasingly important, allowing power generated during periods of abundant supply to be stored for use when demand rises.

Al-Hassan expects storage to play a growing role in the Kingdom’s energy system alongside generation facilities and transmission networks.

In August 2026, ACWA signed three agreements with the Saudi Power Procurement Company, acting as the principal buyer, to develop battery energy storage projects in Haden, Muwayh and Al-Kahfah.

The projects have a combined power capacity of 1,500 megawatts and an energy storage capacity of 6,000 megawatt-hours, under agreements spanning 15 years.

Al-Hassan described the projects as evidence of opportunities in the Saudi market and the importance of storage in supporting renewable energy expansion.

He expects storage to become an increasingly significant factor in planning new projects, depending on grid needs, individual project requirements and economic feasibility.

Red Sea project demonstrates off-grid potential

ACWA’s Red Sea project, which combines solar generation and battery storage, has demonstrated the feasibility of operating an integrated utilities system powered by renewable energy and storage without connecting to the national electricity grid.

The project began commercial operations in September 2026 and includes a 340-megawatt solar power plant and a battery storage system with a capacity of 1,227 megawatt-hours.

According to al-Hassan, the project underscores the importance of integrated planning from the outset, with generation and storage capacities designed to meet actual demand and ensure uninterrupted supplies.

He emphasized that the success of renewable energy projects depends not only on generation capacity but also on the integration of system components and operational efficiency, while accounting for differences in site requirements, costs and operating conditions.

Partnerships to advance desalination

In the water sector, ACWA sees opportunities to advance desalination through greater use of renewable energy and more efficient technologies, helping reduce energy consumption and production costs while meeting growing demand.

With a desalination portfolio capable of producing 9.7 million cubic meters of water per day, the company is focusing on improving plant efficiency, developing desalination technologies and reducing reliance on conventional energy sources wherever technically and economically feasible.

In August 2026, ACWA signed a memorandum of understanding with Veolia to cooperate on improving desalination plant designs, equipment and operational performance.

It also signed a joint development agreement with Indonesia’s PT Garam to establish a project combining seawater desalination with industrial salt production.

The project would use shared infrastructure to meet water needs and support industrial activities.

Al-Hassan identified further growth opportunities in increasing water production, improving the efficiency of existing plants, developing new technologies and expanding partnerships to provide reliable water supplies at competitive costs.

 

 


25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh Draws Record Attendance of More than 33,000 Visitors

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the opening of the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the opening of the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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25th WPC Energy Congress in Riyadh Draws Record Attendance of More than 33,000 Visitors

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the opening of the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman during the opening of the World Petroleum Congress in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The 25th WPC Energy Congress in Saudi Arabia drew a record audience of more than 33,000 visitors, alongside participants from 135 countries and 489 media representatives, making it the most attended edition in the event’s more than 90-year history.

Saudi Arabia hosted the congress for the first time from October 11 to 15 as part of Riyadh Energy Week, under the theme “Pathways to an Energy Future for All.” The event brought together ministers, officials, company executives and energy experts to discuss supply security, investment, innovation and the future of oil and gas markets.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Energy and Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, officially opened the congress alongside Pedro Miras, president of the WPC.

The sessions explored key issues shaping the future of the energy sector, including artificial intelligence, digital transformation, energy efficiency, transport technologies, financing and resilient infrastructure. Discussions also examined the policies and investments needed to enhance energy security and foster international partnerships across the energy value chain.

Ministerial discussions also examined the future of global oil and gas markets, priorities for developing Saudi Arabia’s energy sector under Vision 2030, and ways to build more resilient systems capable of responding to crises and meeting the needs of different countries.

In recognition of achievements in the sector, the Dewhurst Award was presented to Vicki Hollub, a board member and former chief executive of Occidental Petroleum, making her the first woman to receive the award, according to the statement.

The congress also hosted the inaugural Energy Hackathon, launched by the Ministry of Energy as part of Riyadh Energy Week, attracting more than 6,700 participants from over 40 Saudi cities. Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman honored six winning teams across three categories: operational efficiency, innovative vision and smart control.

Alongside the congress, Riyadh hosted the 16th meeting of the Arab Ministerial Council for Electricity, which discussed updates to the two agreements governing the Arab Common Electricity Market and a pilot electricity exchange project involving Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. The meeting also addressed cooperation in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean hydrogen.

Riyadh Energy Week also featured the 17th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM17) and the 11th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-11), as part of efforts to strengthen international cooperation in the energy sector.

At the close of the congress, Kazakhstan was named host of the 26th edition, which will take place in the capital, Astana, from June 11 to 15, 2028. It will mark the first time the congress has been held in Central Asia.