STC Solutions Announces Binding Offer to Acquire Giza Systems Co.

STC announced a binding offer to acquire 89.49% of Giza Systems Co. from Inergia Technologies for Information Systems. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
STC announced a binding offer to acquire 89.49% of Giza Systems Co. from Inergia Technologies for Information Systems. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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STC Solutions Announces Binding Offer to Acquire Giza Systems Co.

STC announced a binding offer to acquire 89.49% of Giza Systems Co. from Inergia Technologies for Information Systems. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
STC announced a binding offer to acquire 89.49% of Giza Systems Co. from Inergia Technologies for Information Systems. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co. (solutions by STC) announced a binding offer to acquire 89.49% of Giza Systems Co. from Inergia Technologies for Information Systems, in addition to 34% of Giza Arabia, a subsidiary of Giza Systems.

In a statement to Tadawul, solutions said the transaction will be based on an enterprise value of $158 million, to be paid in cash.

Solutions said the acquisition is part of STC’s expansion plans and solutions’ strategic plans to lead digital transformation in Saudi Arabia.

It represents a strategic step in line with solutions’ international expansion strategy and an opportunity to enhance the Kingdom’s position and its information and communication technology (ICT) sector.

Digital transformation in the Kingdom has been witnessing a strong qualitative leaps, in light of Vision 2030, which places digitalization as one of its key pillars.

Solutions plays a leading role in enabling digital transformation and contributing to the Kingdom’s digital future by providing innovative and integrated digital solutions, being STC’s technology arm.

It is a leading IT service provider in the Kingdom’s business sector. It started operations over two decades ago and provided digital solutions for the public and private sectors. It has a strong experience through partnerships with more than 150 global and local partners.

The statement said Giza Systems is an information technology leading systems integrator that provides many technical solutions.

It has a track record of more than 40 years and has developed to become a regional power, digital transformation enabler and a leader in systems integration in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Giza Systems has offices in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the United States, which allows it to provide its services to an ever-increasing client base in over 25 countries.

CEO of solutions Omar al-Noamani said the acquisition reflects the company’s intention to enhance its position in global markets, such as the UAE, Egypt and Qatar, and to enter new markets and expand business lines to meet the evolving needs of its customers and investor expectations.



Russia Readies for ‘Decades’ under Western Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 16 August 2024.   EPA/ALEKSEY BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 16 August 2024. EPA/ALEKSEY BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN
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Russia Readies for ‘Decades’ under Western Sanctions

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 16 August 2024.   EPA/ALEKSEY BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, 16 August 2024. EPA/ALEKSEY BABUSHKIN/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN

Economic sanctions imposed by the West on Russia will remain in place for decades, even if there is a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, a senior Russian foreign ministry official said on Friday.
Russia became the most sanctioned country by the West after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, surpassing Iran and North Korea. Despite the pressure, Russia's economy grew by 4.7% in the first half of this year.
"This is a story for decades to come. Whatever the developments and results of a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, it is, in fact, only a pretext," said Dmitry Birichevsky, head of the economic cooperation department at the foreign ministry.
"The sanctions were first introduced much earlier. Their ultimate goal is unfair competition," he told a discussion forum in Moscow, according to Reuters.
The panel, entitled "Sanctions against Russia - forward into infinity?" was part of a wider debate in Russian politics and business about whether Moscow should work towards an easing of sanctions or accept them as a long-term reality and learn to work around them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the removal of all sanctions imposed on Russia would be among his conditions for peace. Many Russian businessmen are privately unhappy about the sanctions but fear losing their wealth if they antagonize Putin or top military and intelligence officials during wartime.
Last week, billionaire Oleg Deripaska faced a backlash from hawks after making a rare anti-war statement, describing the conflict as "mad" and calling for a ceasefire without preconditions.
Birichevsky said sanctions had some benefits, forcing Russia to restructure its economy and produce more value-added goods that were previously imported from Western countries.
"In the 1990s, we thought that if we had oil and gas, we could buy everything else abroad. Now we cannot buy that," he said.
He warned that the "sanctions spiral" would continue to inflict more pain, as Western regulators target sectors that are not yet sanctioned.
Western officials have exerted pressure on Russia's trade partners, threatening to cut off their access to Western markets if they cooperated with Russia, Birichevsky added.
He said Moscow was sharing strategies with other sanctioned countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, aiming to create an international "anti-sanction" coalition to jointly resist Western pressure.