STC's Financial Results Improve in H1 2018

STC's Financial Results Improve in H1 2018
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STC's Financial Results Improve in H1 2018

STC's Financial Results Improve in H1 2018

Saudi Telecoms achieved positive growth in their announced results for the first half of 2018, with an improvement of 3.33 percent compared to the same period of 2017.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC) supported the improvement in the financial results of the Telecom sector.

It announced achieving a total profit of SR5.03 billion ($1.34 billion) during the first half of 2018, recording a positive growth rate of 2.87 percent.

Zain Saudi Arabia, for its part, showed a remarkable improvement in the level of revenues achieved during the first half of 2018, which confirms the company's ability to move forward in expanding its market share and increase the efficiency of its operational capabilities.

While Saudi Arabia's Mobily reported a 51.2 percent improvement in reduction of losses in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year.

The Saudi Telecom sector is expected to play a significant role in enhancing the investment attractiveness of the Saudi stock market, especially that the financial results of the sector have started to improve significantly since the Kingdom decided to reorganize the sector through a package of incentive legislation over the past two years.

These developments come as the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) is working to raise the quality of telecommunications services in the country.

It has recently announced a new update to regulate the quality of service provided by licensed telecommunications service providers, explaining that the new update will enter into force starting from the fourth quarter of 2018.

"This update aims to develop CIT services, provide high-quality communication services to subscribers, stimulate competition among service providers and enhance customer transparency by disseminating the comparative data of service providers and ensuring a minimum quality of telecommunications services to subscribers," CITC said in this regard.

It stressed that these moves will stimulate digital transformation to achieve the objectives of the National Transformation Program 2020 and the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.