SAMA: Government Housing Subsidies Not to Be Calculated in Customers’ Income

The Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs witnesses the conclusion of a new cooperation agreement in refinancing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs witnesses the conclusion of a new cooperation agreement in refinancing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SAMA: Government Housing Subsidies Not to Be Calculated in Customers’ Income

The Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs witnesses the conclusion of a new cooperation agreement in refinancing (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs witnesses the conclusion of a new cooperation agreement in refinancing (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Real Estate Refinance Co. (SRC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), signed a joint cooperation agreement with Alinma Bank to acquire a real estate financing portfolio.

The agreement falls within the company’s continuous efforts to support the residential real estate market in the Kingdom, by expanding the acquisition of real estate financing portfolios and providing the necessary liquidity to ensure financial stability in the market.

The agreement was jointly signed by the company’s CEO, Fabrice Susini, and Alinma Bank CEO, Abdullah bin Ali Al-Khalifa.

Susini said the agreement was part of the company’s ongoing efforts to expand its partnerships with real estate financiers in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, SAMA told all banks and financial institutions operating in the Kingdom that subsidies provided by government agencies to clients should not be classified within the customer’s total monthly income.

According to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat, SAMA notified financial institutions and banks that the exception to the documented government support provided by the Ministry and the Fund did not include amounts that are not paid periodically within the client’s total monthly income.



South Korea, US, to Hold Trade Talks This Week, Seoul Says

 Shoppers walk with their bags at the Dongmyo Flea Market in Seoul on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
Shoppers walk with their bags at the Dongmyo Flea Market in Seoul on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
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South Korea, US, to Hold Trade Talks This Week, Seoul Says

 Shoppers walk with their bags at the Dongmyo Flea Market in Seoul on April 15, 2025. (AFP)
Shoppers walk with their bags at the Dongmyo Flea Market in Seoul on April 15, 2025. (AFP)

South Korea and the United States will hold trade consultations this week in Washington at the suggestion of the United States, Seoul's trade ministry said on Sunday.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun will meet with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the ministry said in a statement.

South Korea hopes to lower the 25% "reciprocal" tariff that President Donald Trump has announced for the country, which he has since paused along with high tariffs slapped on a string of countries.

Ahn will leave on Wednesday, the statement said. It did not specify the agenda or give other details.