Saudi 'Arabian Drilling Company' Raises $533 Million

Saudi 'Arabian Drilling Company' Raises $533 Million
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Saudi 'Arabian Drilling Company' Raises $533 Million

Saudi 'Arabian Drilling Company' Raises $533 Million

The Arabian Drilling Co., a Saudi-based drilling company, has successfully raised SAR2 billion ($533 million) from the local debt market.

The transaction attracted large demand from various investor groups.

The final order booked amounted to more than SAR5.5 billion, which allowed the company to increase the issuance size from its original plan of less than SAR1.6 billion to SAR2 billion.

The demand also allowed the Sukuk pricing to land at Saudi Interbank Offered Rate (Sibor) 1.6%, which was the minimum pricing range in a five-year period.

HSBC Saudi Arabia acted as lead coordinator of the transaction, whereas HSBC Saudi and Fransi Capital were the joint lead managers for the issuance.

Riyad Capital was appointed as the Sukuk holders’ agent and payment administrator.

“ADC has enjoyed a solid reputation in the oil industry for many years,” said Ali al-Ghamdi, managing director administration of Arabian Drilling Company.

“The Sukuk issuance was mainly designed to expand the awareness of ADC impressive operational and financial track record to the wider market,” he added.

Established in 1964, the Arabian Drilling Company is a joint stock company owned by Schlumberger and Taqa, which is 45% owned by PIF.

ADC is specialized in onshore and offshore drilling and owns a fleet of 45 active rigs.



US Applications for Jobless Claims Fall to 201,000, Lowest Level in Nearly a Year

A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
TT

US Applications for Jobless Claims Fall to 201,000, Lowest Level in Nearly a Year

A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
A help wanted sign is displayed at a restaurant in Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

US applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in nearly a year last week, pointing to a still healthy labor market with historically low layoffs.

The Labor Department on Wednesday said that applications for jobless benefits fell to 201,000 for the week ending January 4, down from the previous week's 211,000. This week's figure is the lowest since February of last year.

The four-week average of claims, which evens out the week-to-week ups and downs, fell by 10,250 to 213,000.

The overall numbers receiving unemployment benefits for the week of December 28 rose to 1.87 million, an increase of 33,000 from the previous week, according to The AP.

The US job market has cooled from the red-hot stretch of 2021-2023 when the economy was rebounding from COVID-19 lockdowns.

Through November, employers added an average of 180,000 jobs a month in 2024, down from 251,000 in 2023, 377,000 in 2022 and a record 604,000 in 2021. Still, even the diminished job creation is solid and a sign of resilience in the face of high interest rates.

When the Labor Department releases hiring numbers for December on Friday, they’re expected to show that employers added 160,000 jobs last month.

On Tuesday, the government reported that US job openings rose unexpectedly in November, showing companies are still looking for workers even as the labor market has loosened. Openings rose to 8.1 million in November, the most since February and up from 7.8 million in October,

The weekly jobless claims numbers are a proxy for layoffs, and those have remained below pre-pandemic levels. The unemployment rate is at a modest 4.2%, though that is up from a half century low 3.4% reached in 2023.

To fight inflation that hit four-decade highs two and a half years ago, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023. Inflation came down — from 9.1% in mid-2022 to 2.7% in November, allowing the Fed to start cutting rates. But progress on inflation has stalled in recent months, and year-over-year consumer price increases are stuck above the Fed’s 2% target.

In December, the Fed cut its benchmark interest rate for the third time in 2024, but the central bank’s policymakers signaled that they’re likely to be more cautious about future rate cuts. They projected just two in 2025, down from the four they had envisioned in September.