New System for Companies in Saudi Arabia Competes with Int’l Business Environments

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP)
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New System for Companies in Saudi Arabia Competes with Int’l Business Environments

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP)

The Shura Council approved on Monday a new system for companies, aimed at developing the trade environment in the Kingdom and moving it to a better stage that competes with other international business environments.

Fahd Al-Takhifi, council member and Chairman of the Trade and Investment Committee, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the new system provides an incubating and stimulating regulatory environment for initiative and investment, boosts the value of companies, develops their activities and contributes to supporting the national economy.

All this will reflect positively on the country’s leadership position and its competitive advantages.

Takhifi indicated that the current project, in its entirety, sought to achieve several goals in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Moreover, it supports the growth of the entrepreneurship sector and SMEs and ensures the availability of fair practices for the principles of corporate governance and institutional work.

According to Takhifi, the system includes basic principles and provisions with the aim of reducing disputes between stakeholders, ensuring fair treatment of all partners and shareholders, enhancing the rights of customers, facilitating attracting capital, providing long-term funding sources at the lowest costs, and developing the regular environment for non-profit work.

The importance of the system lies in being one of the main tributaries to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom's vision, said Takhifi, explaining that it does so through increasing the participation of the private sector and boosting the value and development of companies to the Kingdom's GDP.



$266 Mln Deal Boosts Liquidity in Saudi Housing Market

One of the projects under the Sakani program in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the projects under the Sakani program in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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$266 Mln Deal Boosts Liquidity in Saudi Housing Market

One of the projects under the Sakani program in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
One of the projects under the Sakani program in Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Company (SRC), owned by the Public Investment Fund, has signed a SAR 1 billion ($266.7 million) agreement with Bidaya Finance to buy a mortgage portfolio.
The deal is the largest of its kind, aimed at injecting liquidity into Saudi Arabia’s housing market.
The agreement, signed on Sunday, was attended by Housing Minister Majed Al-Hogail, who also chairs SRC, and Abdulaziz Al-Omair, Chairman of Bidaya Finance.
This move supports SRC’s efforts to grow the mortgage market and expand refinancing options, aligning with Vision 2030’s goal of increasing homeownership among Saudi citizens.
SRC CEO Majeed Al Abduljabbar said the deal will boost liquidity and stabilize the housing finance market, helping more Saudis own homes. He added that it builds on SRC’s plan to partner with key lenders and develop a strong secondary mortgage market.
“This agreement is a pivotal step toward achieving the strategic objectives of the Housing Program by increasing homeownership among citizens,” Abduljabbar noted.
“It also aligns with our strategy to forge strategic partnerships with leading financing institutions, fostering the development of an active secondary market for residential mortgages,” he added.
Bidaya Finance CEO Mahmoud Dahduli called the agreement a step forward in offering innovative financing solutions, enabling more citizens to achieve their housing goals and contributing to Vision 2030’s housing targets.
“This strategic collaboration with SRC reinforces our shared role in offering reliable, innovative financing solutions that empower citizens to realize their housing aspirations, aligning with the Housing Program’s goal of increasing homeownership,” Dahduli said.
Established in 2017 by the Public Investment Fund, SRC aims to make home financing more accessible by providing liquidity to lenders and supporting Saudi Arabia’s housing sector under the national transformation plan, Vision 2030.