Fitch Upgrades Saudi’s PIF Outlook to ‘Positive’

The Public Investment Fund is one of the drivers of the Saudi national economy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Public Investment Fund is one of the drivers of the Saudi national economy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Fitch Upgrades Saudi’s PIF Outlook to ‘Positive’

The Public Investment Fund is one of the drivers of the Saudi national economy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Public Investment Fund is one of the drivers of the Saudi national economy (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Ratings agency Fitch on Friday revised the outlook on Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), to "positive" from "stable" following a similar action on the country.

It also affirmed the PIF's rating at "A".

Fitch had cited improvements in Saudi Arabia's balance sheet due to higher oil revenues as reasons for its outlook revision on the country earlier this month.

Moreover, 4 percent of Saudi Aramco’s shares were transferred to the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund last February.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the transferred shares will help strengthen the sovereign wealth fund’s solid financial position and strong credit rating in the medium term.

PIF is a sovereign wealth fund and the leading strategic investment arm of Saudi Arabia, promoting the diversification and development of Saudi Arabia's non -oil sector under the government's "Vision 2030" strategic agenda.

PIF's strategic objectives are closely aligned with national economic objectives. The fund's total assets at end-2020 were 47.1 percent of national GDP.

Fitch classifies PIF as a government-related entity under its Government-Related Entities Rating Criteria (GRE).



Biden Pledges Record $4 bln US Contribution to World Bank Fund for Poorest Countries

The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
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Biden Pledges Record $4 bln US Contribution to World Bank Fund for Poorest Countries

The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)
The World Bank logo. (File/Asharq Al-Awsat Ar)

US President Joe Biden has pledged a $4 billion US contribution to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) fund for the world's poorest countries, two sources with knowledge of the commitment said on Monday, Reuters reported.

Biden announced the US pledge during a closed session during the Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The amount is a record and substantially exceeds the $3.5 billion that Washington committed in the previous IDA replenishment round in December 2021.