Oman Plans to Prepay $1.33 Bn Loans

Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
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Oman Plans to Prepay $1.33 Bn Loans

Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)
Oman continues to manage and reduce the public debt portfolio (Oman News Agency)

Oman's public revenues increased 49.9 percent by the end of May 2022, compared to the same period in 2021, to reach $13.8 billion compared to $9.2 billion in May last year.

Oman is planning to pay off $1.33 billion of financing this month ahead of its due date, the first of its kind in the region.

The Sultanate uses prepayments, bond buybacks, and local debt sales to replace high-cost funds and improve its maturity profile.

The government expects to save $330 million from these moves, which will be spent on projects that will boost its credit ratings and investor confidence.

Meanwhile, the Muscat Stock Exchange has decided to list sovereign Sukuk on the bond and Sukuk market of the local bourse, worth $388.5 million.

The government's efforts to reduce public debt, crowned with success, benefited from the fluctuating interest rates in the global debt markets and the rise in oil revenues.

By the end of July, Oman's debt is expected to decrease to $48.1 billion compared to the end of 2021, which amounted to $53.8 billion.

The government confirmed that it is moving forward to use the additional financial revenues to reduce the state's public debt and accelerate economic recovery.

The increase in Oman's public revenues is mainly due to the rise in average oil prices to about $82 per barrel, average production quantity to about 1.034 million barrels per day, and total oil and gas revenues.

Total public spending until the end of last May amounted to $12 billion, a 5.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2021, due to the rise in current expenses to $9.6 billion compared to the same period in 2021.

The state's general budget achieved a financial surplus by May 2022, amounting to about $1.6 billion, compared to a financial deficit of $2.3 billion in the same period in 2021.

The achieved financial surpluses will promote economic recovery by increasing spending on development projects and reducing the state's public debt.



New Saudi System to Sustain Insurance Funds, Enhance Job Market Efficiency

Part of the job fair at the Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the job fair at the Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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New Saudi System to Sustain Insurance Funds, Enhance Job Market Efficiency

Part of the job fair at the Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Part of the job fair at the Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet, led by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, approved a new social insurance system for new workers during its session on Tuesday.
This move aims to boost labor market efficiency, ensure the sustainability of insurance funds, and support local talent stability. The Kingdom is gearing up for large-scale economic projects that require ongoing updates to meet national goals.
The government aims for a sustainable and fair retirement system, improving laws and regulations.
Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim previously highlighted Saudi Arabia’s proactive approach to managing rising workforce rates and their retirement implications.
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi affirmed that the Cabinet’s decision enhances retirement system efficiency and provides insurance protection for participants and their families, adapting to labor market changes.
Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan stressed the decision's goal to secure insurance coverage for participants while ensuring the sustainability of insurance funds and protecting beneficiaries' rights, thereby promoting economic and social stability.
Moreover, the Cabinet has decided to maintain current provisions of the civil retirement and social insurance systems for current participants, excluding those nearing retirement age and specific groups qualifying for pensions.
The General Organization for Social Insurance clarified that the new system applies only to newly employed civilians in both public and private sectors without prior contributions to either retirement or current social insurance systems.
Existing participants will continue under current rules, except for changes related to retirement age and qualifying periods for pensions for those with less than 20 years of contributions and under 50 lunar years old at the time of the amendments.
The retirement age for covered groups will gradually increase from 58 to 65 years, starting 4 months beyond the current retirement age, based on the participant's age when the amendments take effect.
The current retirement and insurance systems will remain unchanged for participants aged 50 and above or with 20 or more years of contributions at the time of the amendments.
For new labor market entrants, the new system facilitates job mobility between public and private sectors, with contribution rates gradually increasing by 0.5% annually over 4 years, starting from the second year.