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Saudi stc Group Records Highest Six-Month Net Profit

stc pavilion at the LEAP 24 International Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
stc pavilion at the LEAP 24 International Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
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Saudi stc Group Records Highest Six-Month Net Profit

stc pavilion at the LEAP 24 International Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
stc pavilion at the LEAP 24 International Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Saudi Arabia’s telecom company, stc Group, announced on Sunday its highest-ever six-month revenues, reaching 38.66 billion Saudi riyals ($10.3 billion).

Net profit for the six-month period increased by 13.38% compared to the same period last year, reaching 7.4 billion riyals ($1.99 billion).

In a statement on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul), stc said Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) also rose by 6.10% over the same period to 12.2 billion riyals ($3.28 billion).

Commenting on the results, CEO of stc Group Engineer Olayan Alwetaid said the group continued to deliver strong performance by adhering to its strategy and leveraging opportunities in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

He noted that financial discipline and efficient capital management were key drivers of business stability, adaptability, and confident expansion into future growth areas.

According to stc Group, “This was reflected in the group's financial performance, with a 2.1% increase in revenue and a 6.6% rise in gross profit during the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.”
The group’s Cost Efficiency Program also contributed significantly to enhancing operational and financial performance, resulting in EBITDA growth of 6.1% and an increase in the EBITDA margin by 3.9 percentage points to 31.8%, which in turn led to a notable increase in net profit.

“This led to an increase in net profit for the six-month by 13.38% compared to the same period last year, reaching 7.5 billion riyals ($2 billion),” the group said.

Alwetaid said the rising demand for the group’s services as a testament to public trust in its digital solutions.

He said this was exemplified by STC Bank surpassing three million customers in a short period since its launch at the beginning of 2025, reflecting the growing adoption of digital banking services and stc’s expanding role in advancing the financial services sector.

In line with its commitment to maintaining leadership in telecommunications and IT, stc Group signed several strategic agreements in recent months. In the field of cloud computing, the group entered into a partnership with Oracle valued at over 2 billion Saudi riyals ($533 million) to accelerate digital transformation across the Kingdom.

The agreement aims to develop advanced AI-powered cloud infrastructure and provide sovereign cloud solutions via the Oracle Alloy platform, hosted at center3’s data centers.
Additionally, stc Group released its sixth Sustainability Report for 2024, highlighting progress in sustainability, environmental and social responsibility, and governance.

The report detailed the Group’s efforts to improve environmental performance, develop human capital through digital innovation, and uphold effective governance and ethical standards.

Reflecting these achievements, the Group’s ESG rating was upgraded from “BBB” to “A” in the latest MSCI ratings, affirming its commitment to the highest local and international sustainability standards.

 

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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.