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Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership
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Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

Venture Capital Records Two Historic Milestones, Reinforces Saudi Arabia’s Regional Leadership

The Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC) announced on Sunday that Saudi Arabia’s venture capital ecosystem achieved two historic leaps in 2025, in terms of total investment value and number of transactions, further reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as the leading venture capital market in the Middle East for the third consecutive year.

This performance reflects the tangible impact of Saudi Vision 2030 and the structural economic transformation taking place across the Kingdom.

In a statement, the SVC said that the Saudi market recorded its highest-ever number of venture capital transactions, reaching 254 deals in 2025, alongside a record investment value of $1.66 billion during the year.

This compares to approximately $60 million in 2018, representing a 25-fold increase in venture capital investment since the establishment of SVC and the emergence of its role as a market maker within the ecosystem.

CEO and Board Member of SVC Dr. Nabeel Koshak said: “What we are witnessing today in Saudi Arabia’s venture capital sector is the direct result of the unlimited support provided by the Kingdom’s wise leadership across all sectors.”

“This support has been translated into a deliberate and well-calibrated economic transformation, moving private capital into a more mature and impactful phase. These figures reflect the strength of the Saudi economy, the clarity of national vision, and the growing confidence of investors, confirming that venture capital has become a core pillar of growth and economic diversification,” he added.

He stressed that the 25-fold growth in investment since 2018, together with the record-breaking figures for both investment value and deal volume, underscores the maturity of the Saudi venture capital market.

“Venture capital today is enabling the creation of scalable companies, generating high-quality jobs, and transforming innovation into sustainable economic value, fully aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030,” he said.

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Business

Oil Dips on Ample Supply Outlook, Market Weighs Venezuelan Output

FILE PHOTO: Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas April 16, 2015. Picture taken on April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas April 16, 2015. Picture taken on April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo
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Oil Dips on Ample Supply Outlook, Market Weighs Venezuelan Output

FILE PHOTO: Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas April 16, 2015. Picture taken on April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Crude oil drips from a valve at an oil well operated by Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA, in the oil rich Orinoco belt, near Morichal at the state of Monagas April 16, 2015. Picture taken on April 16, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo

Oil prices fell on Tuesday on expectations of ample global supply amid weak demand, and as the market weighed the prospect of higher Venezuelan crude output following the US capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Brent crude futures fell 0.2%, or 14 cents, to $61.62 a barrel by 0450 GMT while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $58.13 a barrel, down 0.3% or 19 cents.

Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at brokerage Phillip Nova, noted the oil price response to major geopolitical events, such as the US military action in Venezuela and ongoing strikes on Russian ‌energy infrastructure, had ‌been surprisingly muted, suggesting fundamental demand-supply factors remained the ‌key ⁠concern.

"From a ‌supply perspective, the oil complex remains packed with barrels. According to the latest International Energy Agency (IEA) and US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, global crude supply continues to outpace consumption growth, pushing inventories higher and keeping downward pressure on prices," she said. Market participants polled by Reuters in December said they expected oil prices to be under pressure in 2026 due to growing supply and weak demand.

Price pressure ⁠could be exacerbated by the US capture of Venezuela's leader on Saturday, increasing the chance of ‌an end to a US embargo on Venezuelan ‍oil and potentially leading to higher ‍output. Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court on Monday ‍to narcotics charges. The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to meet US oil executives this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

"I think if the Trump playbook even partially comes to pass, Venezuelan crude oil production should increase... Should it increase, there will be more pressure on an already over-supplied market," said Marex ⁠analyst Ed Meir. Venezuela is a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and has the world's largest oil reserves at about 303 billion barrels. However, its oil sector has long been in decline due in part to under-investment and US sanctions.

Its average output last year was 1.1 million barrels per day. Oil analysts said Venezuelan output could increase up to half a million barrels a day over the next two years with political stability and US investment.

ANZ Research said in a note, however, that they saw heightened levels of political instability as the more likely scenario, and that a significant injection ‌of funds would be required to increase output beyond Venezuela's current effective capacity.

Business

Gold Hits One-week High on Fed Rate-cut Bets, Venezuela Turmoil

FILE PHOTO: UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola//File Photo
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Gold Hits One-week High on Fed Rate-cut Bets, Venezuela Turmoil

FILE PHOTO: UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola//File Photo
FILE PHOTO: UK gold bars and gold Sovereign coins are displayed at Baird & Co in Hatton Garden in London, Britain, October 8, 2025. REUTERS/Hiba Kola//File Photo

Gold rose further on Tuesday to hit a one-week high, as dovish comments from Federal Reserve officials boosted interest rate-cut bets and Venezuela tensions bolstered safe-haven demand.

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $4,469.96 per ounce, as of 0534 GMT, after rising nearly 3% in the last session. Bullion hit a record high of $4,549.71 on December 26, and logged its best annual ‌performance since ‌1979 last year with a jump ‌of ⁠64%.

US gold ‌futures for February delivery rose 0.7% to $4,481.30, Reuters reported.

"(Comments by Fed officials) certainly didn't hurt but it doesn't look like the calculus has changed all that much. We of course have a big week this week with the jobs report on Friday," said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.

Minneapolis Fed President Neel ⁠Kashkari said on Monday inflation was slowly easing, but there was a risk ‌the jobless rate could "pop" higher, increasing the ‍likelihood of a rate cut.

Investors currently ‍expect at least two rate cuts this year, while they ‍look to the nonfarm payroll report, due on Friday, for more monetary policy cues.

Toppled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday to narcotics charges after US President Donald Trump's capture of him rattled world leaders and left officials in Caracas scrambling to regroup.

"The capture of Maduro illustrated this rupture ⁠between the US and China and more broadly (the ongoing trend of) de-globalization," Spivak said.

Non-yielding assets tend to do well in a low-interest-rate environment and during times of geopolitical or economic uncertainty.

Spot silver gained 3.5% to $79.18 per ounce, after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on December 29. Silver ended 2025 with annual gains of 147%, far outpacing gold, in what was its best year on record.

Spot platinum was up 2.8% at $2,334.25 per ounce, after rising to an all-time high of $2,478.50 last Monday. It rose more than 5% ‌earlier in the session to a one-week high.

Palladium traded 1.9% higher at $1,739.25 per ounce.

Business

Egypt Signs MoU to Supply Syria with Gas, Ministry Says

Crowds gather in a street decorated with lights during New Year celebrations in Damascus, Syria, 31 December 2025. (EPA)
Crowds gather in a street decorated with lights during New Year celebrations in Damascus, Syria, 31 December 2025. (EPA)
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Egypt Signs MoU to Supply Syria with Gas, Ministry Says

Crowds gather in a street decorated with lights during New Year celebrations in Damascus, Syria, 31 December 2025. (EPA)
Crowds gather in a street decorated with lights during New Year celebrations in Damascus, Syria, 31 December 2025. (EPA)

Egypt has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Syria to cooperate on supplying gas for power generation and ‌meeting Syria's ‌petroleum product ‌needs, Egypt's ⁠petroleum ministry ‌said on Monday.

The statement said that Syria would receive gas through regasification ships or gas ⁠transportation networks, without providing details ‌on quantities.

Due ‍to ‍the destruction of ‍energy infrastructure during its 14-year civil war, Syria today produces just a fraction of the electricity it needs, though ⁠the supply of power has improved notably in the past months thanks to supplies of gas from Azerbaijan and Qatar.