Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financinghttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5310796-saudi-energy-bpifrance-sign-cooperation-agreement-project-financing
Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing
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Saudi Energy, Bpifrance Sign Cooperation Agreement for Project Financing
Saudi Energy signed on Monday a cooperation agreement with the French public investment bank Bpifrance on project financing on the sidelines of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s state visit to France.
The agreement, signed during the Saudi-French Investment Roundtable Meeting, focuses on financing Saudi Energy’s projects to develop and expand the power grid. It aims to provide competitive financing solutions for the company’s procurement activities and projects.
It builds on a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides in November 2025, which established a framework for procurement financing facilities to support Saudi Energy’s purchasing program and help diversify funding sources for its strategic projects.
The cooperation mechanism also involves BNP Paribas and HSBC as coordinators of the financing process, with efforts to broaden the pool of international lenders. This is intended to diversify liquidity sources and enhance financing flexibility for future projects.
The agreement reflects Saudi Energy’s efforts to leverage international financing instruments to support its projects, including power infrastructure projects, strengthen grid reliability and stability, and improve project execution efficiency.
It underscores the continued expansion of cooperation between Saudi and French entities and the development of partnerships across various sectors as part of efforts to strengthen strategic ties between the two countries.
RSGT, CMA CGM Sign SAR1.6 Billion Agreement to Develop Jeddah Islamic Port Terminal
The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced the signing of an agreement between Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT) and French shipping group CMA CGM to develop and operate the fourth container terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, with an investment of approximately SAR1.6 billion.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Saudi-French Investment Roundtable Meeting in the presence of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and French President Emmanuel Macron, reflecting the port’s strategic position and growing role in global trade.
The agreement builds on the strategic partnership between Mawani, RSGT, and CMA CGM, and reflects the growing partnerships with leading global companies to develop Saudi ports’ capabilities, support the growth of the maritime and logistics sector, and strengthen the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s connectivity to global trade networks.
The project aims to develop and operate the fourth container terminal with an annual capacity of approximately 2.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) under RSGT’s existing concession agreement, further bolstering Jeddah Islamic Port’s operational capacity to accommodate growth in trade volumes.
The project will also boost Jeddah Islamic Port’s ability to attract global shipping lines and services, increase cargo flows, and expand its connectivity with international markets, leveraging its strategic location on the Red Sea and maritime trade routes linking Asia, Europe, and Africa. This will support the smooth flow of exports and imports and enhance the efficiency and resilience of supply chains.
Trump Issues New Threats to Canada Over Tradehttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5310616-trump-issues-new-threats-canada-over-trade
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND - AUGUST 21: US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One on August 21, 2026 in Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP
Trump threatened Monday to impose a 50% tariff on Canadian automobiles, car parts and steel starting next year as the trade rift with Ottawa deepens.
Trade talks between the otherwise allies and reliable trading partners collapsed last week. Long-planned US tariffs on various Canadian goods went into effect after the talks broke off, and Canada has vowed to retaliate.
“Canada has been ripping off the United States of America for years,” Trump posted on social media Monday morning. Criticizing Canada’s “ridiculously high tariffs” on American farmers, Trump wrote: “Not sustainable, and NOT ANYMORE!”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Monday that Ronald Reagan would be “throwing up” over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and threatened to cut off electricity and critical minerals to the United States.
Ford, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press, said Trump has underestimated Canadians’ willingness to endure economic pain rather than give in to US pressure.
“He underestimates Canada. We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch, everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.”
$19 Billion as a Starting Point: Paris-Riyadh Roundtable Seeks to Expand Investment in the Sectors of the Futurehttps://english.aawsat.com/business/5310566-19-billion-starting-point-paris-riyadh-roundtable-seeks-expand-investment-sectors
$19 Billion as a Starting Point: Paris-Riyadh Roundtable Seeks to Expand Investment in the Sectors of the Future
A view of the Saudi-French Business Forum held last year in Riyadh. SPA
An investment base worth €16.3 billion, equivalent to approximately $19 billion (SAR71.5 billion), is serving as a new starting point for Monday’s French-Saudi Roundtable in Paris, where participants are exploring ways to expand economic cooperation into the industries of the future.
This foundation comes at a time when Saudi-French economic relations are broadening beyond traditional investments into sectors more closely aligned with economic transformation goals, particularly technology, artificial intelligence, energy, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure.
Against this backdrop, both countries have an opportunity to leverage existing investments as a platform for new deals and projects that will strengthen the presence of French companies in Saudi Arabia while simultaneously creating opportunities for Saudi capital to expand into promising sectors in France and across Europe.
French investment in the Kingdom is increasingly targeting new strategic sectors, with French companies entering fields such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, culture and creative industries, and mining.
This expansion builds on a long-established French presence in Saudi Arabia’s energy and industrial sectors, where manufacturing accounts for roughly 60 percent of French foreign direct investment.
A Trillion-Euro Economy
Saudi Arabia combines policy clarity, a stable economic environment, and strong economic fundamentals with a large and rapidly growing market. It is the region’s largest economy, with a GDP of around €1.1 trillion, and is developing new industries as part of its national economic diversification program under Vision 2030.
Its expanding industrial base and growing domestic demand provide significant opportunities for French investors to strengthen their presence in sectors where they already have an established foothold while also entering fast-growing new industries.
French companies continue to deepen their involvement in long-standing sectors ranging from energy and industry to transport, construction, and engineering, while simultaneously moving into emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, culture, and mining as the Saudi economy accelerates its growth.
One of the most significant recent milestones in bilateral relations was the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership at the end of 2024, opening broader avenues for cooperation in new sectors. Bilateral trade reached approximately €10.1 billion in 2025, up 7.2 percent from the previous year.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the closing ceremony of the Esports World Cup at the Grand Palais in Paris, France, August 23, 2026. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Foreign Direct Investment
France ranks as the fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia, with an investment valued at approximately €16.3 billion in 2024. French businesses hold 651 investment licenses across 18 sectors in the Kingdom.
Manufacturing represents around 60 percent of French FDI, highlighting the industrial strength of the relationship. French companies operating in Saudi Arabia include major investors such as TotalEnergies, Sanofi, Veolia, Suez, Accor, and Schneider Electric, among others.
Growing Saudi Presence in France
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested approximately €7.36 billion in France between 2017 and 2024, supporting nearly 29,000 jobs.
In addition, a financing memorandum of understanding between the Saudi sovereign fund and Bpifrance, worth around €8.56 billion, provides a framework for expanded investment cooperation.
The partnership is also taking on a new dimension, as Qiddiya Investment Company and the French government explore a cooperation framework to develop a global destination that combines entertainment, sports, and culture in France.
The initiative would extend Saudi expertise in destination development internationally and reflects the increasingly reciprocal nature of the partnership.
French firms maintain established positions in energy, industry, transport, and hospitality, while simultaneously expanding into new sectors as Saudi Arabia’s economy evolves.
New Agreements Expected
New agreements and memoranda of understanding are expected to reinforce the French presence in sectors where French companies already enjoy a strong foothold.
In energy, companies such as TotalEnergies, EDF, SLB, and Schneider Electric have significant operations in the Kingdom across oil and gas, power generation, and energy infrastructure.
French firms also play major roles in water and environmental services, transport and logistics, construction and consulting, hospitality, and healthcare.
Saudi Arabia offers a stable regulatory, economic, and financial environment that supports major capital commitments. Clear development strategies provide investors with greater visibility regarding the economy’s future direction, while strong fundamentals support long-term implementation.
Meanwhile, Vision 2030 firmly positions economic diversification as a long-term national priority. The National Investment Strategy seeks to stimulate investment, while sector-specific strategies create opportunities throughout value chains.
Ongoing regulatory reforms continue to open new opportunities and improve the investment climate. Updated investment laws provide equal treatment for investors and strengthen investor protections, including safeguards against expropriation and clear mechanisms for the repatriation of funds.
Creditworthiness and Economic Stability
Saudi Arabia holds an A+ sovereign credit rating with a stable outlook, reaffirmed by S&P Global Ratings in March. The Kingdom’s total reserve assets reached approximately €421.5 billion in June 2026.
Over several decades, Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in infrastructure and operational capabilities that support sustained economic and commercial activity.
The International Monetary Fund has cited low government debt, substantial reserves, and the size of the sovereign wealth fund as key strengths, while identifying the fixed exchange-rate regime as a reliable anchor of monetary stability.
Opportunities are no longer limited to individual projects. Saudi Arabia is expanding integrated economic sectors, generating growing demand across value chains, and building the infrastructure, financing systems, and operating environment companies need to grow.
Investment opportunities now span more than 15 sectors, many of which already feature strong French participation.
The Saudi Industrial Development Fund provides financing of up to 75 percent of eligible project costs, alongside industrial incentives of up to 35 percent. Special Economic Zones offer targeted incentives in strategic industries, while the Regional Headquarters Program provides companies with a platform for regional expansion.
Artificial Intelligence
Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its position as a regional hub for artificial intelligence and technology through substantial investments in digital infrastructure. The Kingdom ranked first globally in the 2025 ICT Development Index issued by the International Telecommunication Union.
The ICT market grew by 89 percent compared with 2017, while the digital economy accounted for approximately 16 percent of GDP in 2024.
Saudi Arabia aims to develop 3 gigawatts of AI infrastructure capacity by 2030. Data center capacity has reached 440 megawatts, nearly six times the 2017 baseline, supported by investments exceeding €3.85 billion.
Announced AI partnerships exceed €19.7 billion in value. Cloud regions operated by Oracle and Google Cloud are already operational, while cloud regions developed by AWS and Microsoft are expected to become operational during 2026.
Energy
The energy sector remains one of the most important pillars of French investment in the Kingdom and offers significant growth prospects. French companies are involved in energy projects in Saudi Arabia worth more than €16.3 billion, while consortia led by French firms participate in solar projects with a combined capacity of 11 gigawatts.
Opportunities span renewable energy, energy storage, hydrogen, and grid infrastructure.
In tourism, French companies enjoy a strong presence in a rapidly expanding market. Saudi Arabia recorded approximately 123 million visits in 2025, generating nearly €69.3 billion in tourism spending. The Kingdom aims to attract 150 million visits annually by 2030.
A Platform for Regional Growth
More than 750 companies have established regional headquarters in Riyadh under Saudi Arabia’s Regional Headquarters Program, including 39 French companies operating across eight sectors.
The program offers qualifying companies a 30-year exemption from corporate income tax and withholding tax, giving French firms with extensive operations in the Kingdom a strategic base from which to manage and expand their activities across the region.
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