SEREDO 2026 Real Estate Expo Opens in Jeddah with Broad Participation

SEREDO 2026 real estate expo opens in Jeddah with broad participation. (SPA)
SEREDO 2026 real estate expo opens in Jeddah with broad participation. (SPA)
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SEREDO 2026 Real Estate Expo Opens in Jeddah with Broad Participation

SEREDO 2026 real estate expo opens in Jeddah with broad participation. (SPA)
SEREDO 2026 real estate expo opens in Jeddah with broad participation. (SPA)

Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing for Stimulating Housing Supply and Real Estate Development Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al-Tawil opened the fifth edition of the SEREDO Expo for Real Estate Development and Ownership 2026 at Jeddah Superdome.

Held under the ministry’s patronage, the event is bringing together government entities, real estate developers and financing companies, with broad participation from across the sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

During the opening, Al-Tawil reviewed the key real estate and financing projects, products, and services offered by participating entities, as well as investment opportunities, solutions, and ownership options available to visitors and investors.

The expo brings together leading real estate entities and companies, providing a platform for industry stakeholders to connect, showcase their projects and products, and explore investment opportunities and ownership options available in the Saudi real estate market.

The opening ceremony also honored the event's patron, sponsors, and supporting partners in recognition of their contributions to SEREDO 2026 and their role in encouraging participation from across the real estate sector.

The exhibition runs through September 8, targeting real estate professionals, industry stakeholders, business leaders, and investors, as well as those interested in exploring projects and opportunities in real estate development, ownership, and investment.



Saudi Stock Market Drops 2.3% to Lowest Close Since 2021

A person stands in front of a screen showing falling stock prices (Reuters)
A person stands in front of a screen showing falling stock prices (Reuters)
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Saudi Stock Market Drops 2.3% to Lowest Close Since 2021

A person stands in front of a screen showing falling stock prices (Reuters)
A person stands in front of a screen showing falling stock prices (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's benchmark stock index ended Thursday's session down 2.3 percent, shedding 231 points to close at 9,696, its lowest closing level since 2021, with total trading turnover reaching approximately SAR 4.9 billion.

The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) fluctuated between an intraday low of 9,640 points and a high of 9,888 points.

Thursday's decline brought the index's weekly losses to more than 400 points, or 4.1 percent, marking its eighth consecutive week of declines.

Most stocks fell during the session, led by Saudi National Bank, which dropped more than 5 percent to SAR 34.62, with approximately 9 million shares traded.

Saudi Aramco and Al Rajhi Bank each declined 1 percent, closing at SAR 25.40 and SAR 59.80, respectively, while Maaden fell 5 percent to SAR 55.90.

Shares of Retal, Al Yamamah Steel, East Pipes, Jahez, Gulf Training and Saudi Steel Pipe ended the session with losses ranging from 5 to 9 percent.

Meanwhile, Electrical Industries, Abo Moati, Umm Al-Qura Cement, Saleh Al-Rashed, Wafrah, Saudi Vitrified Clay Pipe and Watani Iron Steel each fell 10 percent.

On the upside, Al-Etihad rose 10 percent to SAR 6.16, followed by JAZADCO with gains exceeding 9 percent. Shares of Al Arabia, UCIC and Saudi Kayan advanced between 1 and 3 percent.


Barclays Bank to Cut about 5,000 Jobs amid AI Drive

Barclays says the job cuts are due to AI efficiencies. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
Barclays says the job cuts are due to AI efficiencies. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
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Barclays Bank to Cut about 5,000 Jobs amid AI Drive

Barclays says the job cuts are due to AI efficiencies. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File
Barclays says the job cuts are due to AI efficiencies. Paul ELLIS / AFP/File

British bank Barclays announced Thursday plans to cut around 5,000 jobs, or roughly five percent of its global workforce, by the end of 2026 in an AI efficiency drive.

The announcement came alongside an earnings update that showed Barclays' net profit grew 13 percent in the third quarter, fueled by surging income across its equities division, said AFP.

Barclays said in an earnings presentation that it was implementing "organizational simplification and technology change efficiency driven by AI".

"About 60 percent of the job losses relate to support functions, including fewer developers as AI makes our people more productive," it added.

The bank's profit after tax grew to £1.65 billion ($2.2 billion) in the third quarter from £1.46 billion in the July-September period a year earlier.

Barclays chief executive C. S. Venkatakrishnan noted "ongoing momentum of... operational and financial performance" and said the investment bank division "delivered strong equities performance".

Revenue from equities jumped 47 percent year-on-year, while total group income for the quarter climbed three percent to £7.37 billion.

Barclays' share price was up slightly following the news updates.

The AI "announcement comes as the company failed to match expectations with its third-quarter performance -- with the unveiling of a healthy share buyback failing to entirely ease investors' disappointment", noted AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

"Across the wider group, costs went up and Barclays shareholders are also having to contend with two major clouds over the business.

"The first being a widely expected increase in tax on the sector in next week's (UK) budget and the other being a reported probe into possible misrepresentation of risks in its private credit portfolio."


Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund Loses Over $30 Bn in 3rd Quarter

A view shows the building of Norway’s central bank (Norges Bank) in Oslo, Norway, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/ File Photo
A view shows the building of Norway’s central bank (Norges Bank) in Oslo, Norway, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/ File Photo
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Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund Loses Over $30 Bn in 3rd Quarter

A view shows the building of Norway’s central bank (Norges Bank) in Oslo, Norway, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/ File Photo
A view shows the building of Norway’s central bank (Norges Bank) in Oslo, Norway, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Victoria Klesty/ File Photo

Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest with assets of more than $2 trillion, on Thursday reported a negative return of 278 billion kroner ($31 billion) in the third quarter as it was weighed down by higher interest rates.

It posted a negative return of 0.5 percent in the quarter, dragged down by a negative return of 3.5 percent in its fixed-income investments, while its equity and property portfolios increased by 0.5 percent and 0.4 percent respectively.

"The fund's return was close to flat, ending slightly negative as rising interest rates led to weaker results on our fixed-income investments," the fund's deputy CEO Trond Grande said in a statement.

Invested primarily in equities, bonds and real estate across the globe, the fund reported a value of 22,014 billion kroner at the end of September.

Inflation around the world, fuelled in particular by soaring energy prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East, has led several central banks, including the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank, to raise interest rates in the third quarter.

"Equity returns were also close to zero, but there were large differences between sectors.

Energy companies rose the most, while interest-rate-sensitive sectors such as utilities and real estate fell," Grande said, according to Reuters.

Fueled by the Nordic country's oil revenues, the fund is invested in more than 7,100 companies spanning the globe, and holds around 1.5 percent of all listed companies worldwide, making it the world's largest single investor.