Saudi Central Bank Extends Deferred Payment Program for Private Sector MSMEs

The Saudi central bank.
The Saudi central bank.
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Saudi Central Bank Extends Deferred Payment Program for Private Sector MSMEs

The Saudi central bank.
The Saudi central bank.

With the Saudi economy set on a dynamic track to return to pre-pandemic levels, the Saudi central bank (SAMA) said on Tuesday it is extending a deferred payment program to help small businesses impacted by the coronavirus crisis by another period of three months, starting July 1.

The program - meant to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) affected by precautionary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic - was launched in March 2020.

Moreover, SAMA reaffirmed its keenness to maintain stability in the Kingdom’s financial sector.

SAMA clarified that during this extension MSMEs will be subject to assessment by the financing entities on the extent to which they are still affected by the COVID-19 precautionary measures, in order to be qualified for the extension.

It is worth noting that, since its launch on March 14, 2020 to date, the Deferred Payment Program has benefited more than 106,000 contracts with a total value of deferred payments worth SAR 167 billion.

The number of contracts benefiting from the Guaranteed Financing Program has exceeded 5,282 with a total financing value of more than SAR 10 billion.

The purpose of those programs is to support the liquidity level in the financial sector (banks and finance companies) and to enable the financial sector to ease the economic impact of the COVID-19 precautionary measures on the private sector, especially the MSMEs.

Last March, SAMA announced an extension of the program for three months, ending at Q2 2021. The same reasons for this month’s extension applied then.



France Signs Deals to Help Egypt’s Economy in Volatile Regional Climate

 Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) attend the Egypt-France Business Forum, in Cairo, on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) attend the Egypt-France Business Forum, in Cairo, on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
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France Signs Deals to Help Egypt’s Economy in Volatile Regional Climate

 Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) attend the Egypt-France Business Forum, in Cairo, on April 7, 2025. (AFP)
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) and French President Emmanuel Macron (L) attend the Egypt-France Business Forum, in Cairo, on April 7, 2025. (AFP)

France and Egypt signed strategic partnership agreements on Monday, in areas covering health, transport and energy, which French President Emmanuel Macron said would help shore up Egypt's stability amid volatility in the region.

"Egypt is a strategic partner for our country," said Macron, speaking alongside Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at a news conference in Cairo.

"I would thus like to reaffirm France's commitment to ensuring the stability of Egypt given the context of a worsening climate in the region and as the Egyptian economy faces challenges," added Macron.

Macron said he continued to back talks between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission.

The IMF approved last month the disbursement of $1.2 billion to Egypt, which has been grappling with high inflation and shortages of foreign currency.

Macron added France's overseas aid development body would sign 260 million euros ($284.5 million) worth of loans and grants for Egypt in areas such as transport, health, water and energy.

Macron and Sisi also both reaffirmed their calls for a ceasefire to the fighting in Gaza and for the release of Israeli hostages.