Saudi Red Sea Development Company Targets $4Bn in Contracts

The Red Sea Development Company announced targeting contracts worth about SAR15 billion riyals by the end of 2020. (SPA)
The Red Sea Development Company announced targeting contracts worth about SAR15 billion riyals by the end of 2020. (SPA)
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Saudi Red Sea Development Company Targets $4Bn in Contracts

The Red Sea Development Company announced targeting contracts worth about SAR15 billion riyals by the end of 2020. (SPA)
The Red Sea Development Company announced targeting contracts worth about SAR15 billion riyals by the end of 2020. (SPA)

The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind Saudi Arabia’s flagship international regenerative tourism initiative “The Red Sea Project”, announced on Sunday targeting contracts worth about SAR15 billion riyals ($4 billion) by the end of 2020.

It also revealed awarding to date more than 500 contracts to international and local firms, collectively worth around SAR7.5 billion ($2 billion). These include awards for the design, construction and operation of state-of-the-art accommodation and facilities at the destination.

The announcements were made during a press interview by the company to review the most significant developments in the project.

The luxury tourism destination along the Red Sea coast outlines impressive and tangible progress made at the 28,000 km² site that includes a vast archipelago of more than 90 islands.

The Project has already passed significant milestones and work is on track to welcome the first guests by the end of 2022, when the international airport and the first four hotels will open. The remaining 12 hotels scheduled for completion in phase one will open in 2023, delivering a total of 3,000 rooms across five islands and two inland resorts.

“This significant landmark underscores the scale of our project and the remarkable progress made to create the destination of the future, said John Pagano, CEO of TRSDC.

“TRSDC is a contributing factor to the growth of the Saudi Arabian economy and is playing a pivotal role in its Vision 2030 plan,” he added.

Meanwhile, the company plans to close on a SAR14 billion ($3.7 billion) loan from five domestic banks by the end of the year as it steps up construction on a luxury tourism project.

So far the company has awarded SAR7 billion of contracts and plans to award a total of SAR15 billion by the end of the year, Bloomberg quoted Pagano as saying.

Since the company’s establishment in 2017, over 70 percent of the total value of contracts has been awarded to Saudi firms, highlighting TRSDC’s commitment to bolstering the local economy Overall, more than 500 contracts have been awarded to companies from 24 countries.



IMF Approves Third Review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 Bln Bailout

Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF along with Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF and Martha Tesfaye Woldemichael, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF, attend a press conference organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF along with Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF and Martha Tesfaye Woldemichael, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF, attend a press conference organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
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IMF Approves Third Review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 Bln Bailout

Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF along with Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF and Martha Tesfaye Woldemichael, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF, attend a press conference organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage
Peter Breuer, Senior Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF along with Katsiaryna Svirydzenka, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF and Martha Tesfaye Woldemichael, Deputy Mission Chief for Sri Lanka at the IMF, attend a press conference organized by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Thilina Kaluthotage

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the third review of Sri Lanka's $2.9 billion bailout on Saturday but warned that the economy remains vulnerable.
In a statement, the global lender said it would release about $333 million, bringing total funding to around $1.3 billion, to the crisis-hit South Asian nation. It said signs of an economic recovery were emerging, Reuters reported.
In a note of caution, it said "the critical next steps are to complete the commercial debt restructuring, finalize bilateral agreements with official creditors along the lines of the accord with the Official Creditor Committee and implement the terms of the other agreements. This will help restore Sri Lanka's debt sustainability."
Cash-strapped Sri Lanka plunged into its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades in 2022 with a severe dollar shortage sending inflation soaring to 70%, its currency to record lows and its economy contracting by 7.3% during the worst of the fallout and by 2.3% last year.
"Maintaining macroeconomic stability and restoring debt sustainability are key to securing Sri Lanka's prosperity and require persevering with responsible fiscal policy," the IMF said.
The IMF bailout secured in March last year helped stabilize economic conditions. The rupee has risen 11.3% in recent months and inflation disappeared, with prices falling 0.8% last month.
The island nation's economy is expected to grow 4.4% this year, the first increase in three years, according to the World Bank.
However, Sri Lanka still needs to complete a $12.5 billion debt restructuring with bondholders, which President Anura Kumara Dissanayake aims to finalize in December.
Sri Lanka will enter into individual agreements with bilateral creditors including Japan, China and India needed to complete a $10 billion debt restructuring, Dissanayake said.
He won the presidency in September, and his leftist coalition won a record 159 seats in the 225-member parliament in a general election last week.