Morocco’s Internal Debt Touches $59 Bln

File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
TT

Morocco’s Internal Debt Touches $59 Bln

File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
File photo of a police officer standing near a Moroccan national flag in Agadir, December 10, 2013. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Data released by Morocco’s General Treasury revealed that the Kingdom’s internal debt, after experiencing a 2.2 percent hike since the start of 2019, stood at 561 billion dirhams ($59.05 billion) last May. 

The rise was traced back to the treasury resorting to withdraw a net amount of 8.7 billion dirhams ($915.8 million) from the Kingdom’s tender market as investors signed new bonds worth 55.5 billion dirhams ($5.85 billion) and 46.8 billion dirhams ($5 billion).

Whilst implementing this year’s general budget, the government experienced a funding shortage of 24.7 billion dirhams ($2.6 billion). This shortfall was financed by borrowing from the local financial market at 19.3 billion dirhams ($2.03 billion), while 5.5 billion dirhams (580 million dollars) was raised through foreign borrowing.

As for foreign debt, the government borrowed 9.5 billion dirhams ($1 billion), distributed between the World Bank at 7.1 billion dirhams ($747.4 million) and Arab Development Bank at 2.3 billion dirhams (242 million dollars).

The total debt of the Moroccan government stands at 720 billion dirhams ($76 billion), 78 percent of which is in internal debt and 22 percent in external debt.



Moody's Upgrades Saudi Arabia's Credit Rating

Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
TT

Moody's Upgrades Saudi Arabia's Credit Rating

Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters
Moody's indicated that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification. Reuters

The credit rating agency “Moody’s Ratings” upgraded Saudi Arabia’s credit rating to “Aa3” in local and foreign currency, with a “stable” outlook.
The agency indicated in its report that the rating upgrade and stable outlook are results of the Kingdom's ongoing progress in economic diversification and the robust growth of its non-oil sector. Over time, the advancements are expected to reduce Saudi Arabia’s exposure to oil market developments and long-term carbon transition on its economy and public finances.
The agency commended the Kingdom's financial planning within the fiscal space, emphasizing its commitment to prioritizing expenditure and enhancing the spending efficiency. Additionally, the government’s ongoing efforts to utilize available fiscal resources to diversify the economic base through transformative spending were highlighted as instrumental in supporting the sustainable development of the Kingdom's non-oil economy and maintaining a strong fiscal position.
In its report, the agency noted that the planning and commitment underpin its projection of a relatively stable fiscal deficit, which could range between 2%-3% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Moody's expected that the non-oil private-sector GDP of Saudi Arabia will expand by 4-5% in the coming years, positioning it among the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, an indication of continued progress in the diversification efforts reducing the Kingdom’s exposure to oil market developments.
In recent years, the Kingdom achieved multiple credit rating upgrades from global rating agencies. These advancements reflect the Kingdom's ongoing efforts toward economic transformation, supported by structural reforms and the adoption of fiscal policies that promote financial sustainability, enhance financial planning efficiency, and reinforce the Kingdom's strong and resilient fiscal position.