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SRMG Profits Jump to $140 Million Until Q3

The Saudi Research and Media Group increases its gains during the first nine months of this year (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Research and Media Group increases its gains during the first nine months of this year (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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SRMG Profits Jump to $140 Million Until Q3

The Saudi Research and Media Group increases its gains during the first nine months of this year (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Research and Media Group increases its gains during the first nine months of this year (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG), one of the largest Arab media organizations, revealed that its gains during the first three quarters of 2022 increased by 22.4%, recording profits of SAR 527.8 million ($140 million) because of revenue growth.

SRMG, whose shares are listed on the Saudi stock market, recorded an increase in profits by 20.3%, achieving quarterly gains of SAR 246 million ($65.7 million). Achieved profits represent a growth jump of 46% when compared to the previous quarter.

The increase in net profit for the current quarter compared to the same quarter of the previous year is mainly due to the increase in gross profit, resulting mainly from the increase in revenues by 23.2%, noting that the direct costs for the current quarter increased compared to the same quarter of the last year mainly due to operating costs of certain projects in line with the announced strategy.

The reason for the increase in net profit during the current quarter compared to the previous quarter of the current year is mainly due to the increase in gross profit by 20.8%.

SRMG said that the increase in profits and revenues came despite the direct costs of the current period, which increased compared to the same period of the previous year, mainly as a result of the operating costs of some projects in line with the announced strategy.

The total revenue of the current quarter is SAR 1,002.7 million ($267.2 million) compared to SAR 813.9 million for the same quarter of the last year, an increase of 23.2%, and compared to SR 907.2 million in the previous quarter of the current year, an increase of 10.5%.

The total revenue of the current period is SR 2,696.3 million compared to SR 2,113.5 million for the same period of the previous year, an increase of 27.6%.

Total revenues during the current period amounted to SAR 2.696 billion, compared to SAR 2.113 billion for the same period of the previous year. This represents an increase of 27.6%.

Total comprehensive income of the parent company for the current quarter stands at SAR 203.0 million compared to SAR 198.7 million for the same quarter of the last year, an increase of 2.2%.

When compared to the SAR 140.1 million recorded in the previous quarter of the current year, it represents an increase of 44.9%.

In other news, the main Saudi stock index closed on Monday, up 77.48 points at 11598.76 points, with transactions worth 6.4 billion riyals.

The volume of traded shares amounted to 142 million shares, shared by more than 380 thousand transactions, in which the shares of 61 companies recorded an increase in their value, while the shares of 143 companies closed down.

The Saudi Parallel Stock Index (Nomu) closed today, down 112.82 points at 19,500.39 points, with transactions worth 17.2 million riyals, while the volume of traded shares reached more than 320 thousand shares, shared by 1383 deals.

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Business

IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.

Business

Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.

Business

Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.