Saudi Arabia Plans to Privatize Grain Silos

Saudi Grain Silos (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Grain Silos (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi Arabia Plans to Privatize Grain Silos

Saudi Grain Silos (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Grain Silos (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is planning to sell its grain silos as part of the kingdom's privatization drive after the sales of the flour mills last month were completed with great success.

Bloomberg reported that the state-owned Saudi Grains Organization (SGO) aims to start selling silo sites as soon as this year.

SAGO will seek bids from foreign and local firms; however, no decisions have been made and SAGO may retain the assets, according to people familiar with the matter.

In April, the National Center for Privatization (NCP) and SAGO announced that the third milling company was sold to investors, bringing the total sale of the four companies to $2 billion.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources launched a digital platform Monday, which it said facilitates access to all services through several channels and electronic services in the easiest way and the latest technology.

The Ministry pointed out the digital platform comes as the ministry seeks to facilitate the work of industry and mining partners.

The platform has several advantages: the speedy completion of services, saving time and effort, making the latest information and statistics available to researchers and investors, and facilitating access to the ministry’s services, according to the Ministry.

In other news, Almarai company announced new investments worth $1.7 billion aiming to double the production operations in poultry in the Kingdom through three phases until 2026.

These investments will increase the company’s share of chilled chicken, along with increasing its production and share of frozen poultry.

The company’s market share currently stands at about 34 percent in chilled poultry, and 12 percent of the total sector.

The production after investment will increase to 450 million birds per year, while the Kingdom's imports of the poultry sector are nearly 45 percent.



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
TT

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.