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Riyadh’s FII Day One: 23 Agreements Worth $15 Billion

A view shows branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
A view shows branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
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Riyadh’s FII Day One: 23 Agreements Worth $15 Billion

A view shows branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
A view shows branded oil tanks at Saudi Aramco oil facility in Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

The first day of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), currently held in Riyadh, witnessed the signing of 23 agreements worth a total of $15 billion by foreign and Saudi companies.

The Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) said in a statement on Wednesday that one of the aims of the FII was to attract foreign investment to the Kingdom, adding that companies from all continents have signed agreements to invest in an array of fields.

Saudi Aramco announced its intention to establish the Jazan Power Joint Venture. The JV will be 46 percent owned by Air Products, 25 percent by ACWA Power, 20 percent by Saudi Aramco and 9 percent by Air Products Qudra.

In addition, the Company signed seven MoUs at the FII in Riyadh on Tuesday, including a collaboration MoU worth $1 billion with Tubacex Group, to invest in pipe weld overlay and cladding services manufacturing facilities in the Kingdom.

Another MoU was signed between Saudi Aramco and Baker Hughes to collaborate on artificial intelligence and digital transformation, worth $230 million.

Aramco Senior Vice President of Technical Services, Ahmad A. Al Saadi, reaffirmed the Company’s position, saying: “Saudi Aramco aims to promote business investment opportunities through technology across the Kingdom’s energy services sector ecosystem. The agreements signed today support the Kingdom’s plans to develop industrial zones, create jobs and attract foreign direct investment, as well as drive economic diversification.”

The statement by Aramco noted that the MoUs “represent new collaborations with companies from six countries. These include France, Norway, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain and the United States.”

“The MoUs are intended to support Saudi Aramco’s operations and Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification strategy by increasing the efficiency of technology used in upstream, downstream and engineering services. In the long term, these agreements aim to help improve sustainability and technological efficiency throughout the value chain,” the statement added.

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Global Corporate Social Responsibility Kicks off in Riyadh

The inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
The inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
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Global Corporate Social Responsibility Kicks off in Riyadh

The inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)
The inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday. (SPA)

The inaugural Global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Forum kicked off in Riyadh on Monday under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development under the theme "From Commitment to Impact", the forum aims to promote social responsibility initiatives.

In opening remarks, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi said: "Saudi Arabia's goal for this forum is to serve as a global platform for dialogue on social responsibility, enabling us to meet, exchange expertise, and discuss challenges, solutions, and opportunities to expand private sector involvement in sustainable development. Together, we aim to set a global model for creating new partnerships between the public and private sectors."

Saudi Arabia's achievements in the field of social responsibility represent an "inspiring transformation and empowerment story", with social responsibility recognized as a strategic objective in the Saudi Vision 2030, that of "promoting corporate social responsibility", he added.

This has led to the developing tools and enablers that would drive strategic transformation in corporate social responsibility, including the establishment of a Social Responsibility Committee by a Cabinet decision, formulating a social responsibility strategy, launching a national social responsibility platform to lead transparency in social responsibility.

It also led to declaring March 23 as an annual Social Responsibility Day, highlighting private sector initiatives, issuing a corporate social responsibility guide, developing a social responsibility index in the Saudi market, and establishing a unified national identity for social responsibility.

Al-Rajhi cited a significant increase in corporate social responsibility engagement across Saudi Arabia. These contributions to social spending jumped from 1.19% in 2019 to 4.15% by the end of 2023, while the percentage of large companies with CSR programs jumped from 30% to 65% during the same period.

This progress is reflected in Saudi Arabia's improved global ranking, climbing to 16th place in the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024's Social Responsibility Index, up from 41st in 2021. Al-Rajhi was confident that Saudi Arabia will be among the top CSR countries in the world by 2030.

At the forum, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development aims to engage decision makers from the private sector, government representatives, development organizations, and experts in social responsibility and sustainability in discussions on challenges and opportunities for growth.

The forum seeks to foster innovation, shape the future of social responsibility on a global scale, encourage excellence and competitiveness, facilitate partnerships among public, private, and non-profit sectors, and expand opportunities for international collaboration in this field.