Saudi FDI Inflows Grow by 10.7% in 3rd Quarter 2022

Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi FDI Inflows Grow by 10.7% in 3rd Quarter 2022

Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023). (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ministry of Investment said on Tuesday that the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Saudi Arabia rose 10.7% in the third quarter of 2022 over the same period a year earlier.

FDI inflows amounted to 7.2 billion riyals ($1.9 billion) in the third quarter of 2022, according to the Investment ministry’s latest monthly bulletin, compared to 6.5 billion riyals in the third quarter of 2021.

This announcement comes as Riyadh is preparing to launch the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference (FSC 2023), which is organized by the Financial Sector Development Program partners (Ministry of Finance, Saudi Central Bank, and Capital Market Authority).

The event, which will be held on March 15-16 at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, will be attended by decision-makers in the financial sector and senior executives in local, regional, and international financial institutions, as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and prominent academics.

Minister of Finance, Chairman of the Financial Sector Development Program Committee, Mohammad Al-Jadaan, told SPA that the second edition of the FSC comes at an important stage in the world, amid efforts to overcome the challenges in the global economy.

He added that Saudi Arabia sought to speed up the implementation of comprehensive structural reforms, including reforms in the financial sector, through strategies, programs and projects that promote sustainable economic growth and raise the quality of life, in accordance with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

According to a press release, the FSC 2023 agenda includes a discussion of the key topics on the aspirations and concerns of the financial community. Participants will discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the global economy, supply chain constraints, a changing world order, the protracted pandemic, and other factors causing slow growth in many regions worldwide that affect the financial sector and its ecosystem.



Japan’s Nikkei Retreats from 5-Month Peak, Set to Rise Nearly 20% for Year

A pedestrian walks past an electronic board showing the closing numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with graphs illustrating the daily movement (L) and for the last 12 months (R), along a street in central Tokyo on December 30, 2024. (AFP)
A pedestrian walks past an electronic board showing the closing numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with graphs illustrating the daily movement (L) and for the last 12 months (R), along a street in central Tokyo on December 30, 2024. (AFP)
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Japan’s Nikkei Retreats from 5-Month Peak, Set to Rise Nearly 20% for Year

A pedestrian walks past an electronic board showing the closing numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with graphs illustrating the daily movement (L) and for the last 12 months (R), along a street in central Tokyo on December 30, 2024. (AFP)
A pedestrian walks past an electronic board showing the closing numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, with graphs illustrating the daily movement (L) and for the last 12 months (R), along a street in central Tokyo on December 30, 2024. (AFP)

Japan's Nikkei share average retreated from the previous session's five-month high on Monday, the last trading day in 2024, as investors locked in profits on a market set to be up a fifth for the year.

The Nikkei had fallen 0.75% to 39,979.68 by the midday break, after opening 0.11% higher. It ended at a five-month closing high on Friday after a three-session winning streak.

The index is up 19.5% so far this year, putting it just behind Pakistan and Taiwan for the year.

The broader Topix was down 0.42% to 2,789.98.

"Investors sold stocks today because they could not find clear reasons for the Nikkei to cross the 40,000 levels," said Fumio Matsumoto, chief strategist at Okasan Securities.

"But that does not mean investors are pessimistic about the market in the coming year. They may just want to avoid risks during the market close in Japan for the new year, which is longer than usual."

The Japanese markets will reopen on Jan. 6 after closing for the new year holidays from the next session.

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest fell 3.83% to drag the Nikkei the most.

Nissan Motor slipped 5.64% to become the biggest percentage loser on the Nikkei. Nissan's shares surged nearly 40% this month as merger talks between the automaker and peer Honda Motor surfaced.

Makino Milling Machine's shares were untraded and were set to a daily limit of 10,750 yen after a surprise unsolicited takeover bid by Japanese manufacturing giant Nidec.

Takehiko Masuzawa, trading head at Phillip Securities Japan, said the Nikkei rose last week as investors bought back stocks to cover their short positions ahead of the long market holiday.