Electronic Arts Announces Completion of Acquisition by Saudi Public Investment Fund-Led Consortium

The Consortium’s agreement to acquire EA was previously announced on September 29, 2025, and was approved by EA stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on December 22, 2025. (PIF)
The Consortium’s agreement to acquire EA was previously announced on September 29, 2025, and was approved by EA stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on December 22, 2025. (PIF)
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Electronic Arts Announces Completion of Acquisition by Saudi Public Investment Fund-Led Consortium

The Consortium’s agreement to acquire EA was previously announced on September 29, 2025, and was approved by EA stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on December 22, 2025. (PIF)
The Consortium’s agreement to acquire EA was previously announced on September 29, 2025, and was approved by EA stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on December 22, 2025. (PIF)

Electronic Arts, a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced on Tuesday that its acquisition by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, as well as Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners, has successfully closed.

“Having been a minority investor in the company for more than five years, we have a deep understanding of Electronic Arts’ unique platform, massive global sports and gaming franchises, and iconic IP,” said Turqi Alnowaiser, Deputy Governor and Head of International Investments at PIF.

“Entertainment and sports are key areas of strategic focus for PIF, and are among the fastest growing and evolving sectors around the world. Together, the consortium is uniquely positioned to be a long-term partner to Electronic Arts’ management team in driving sustained growth and innovation for Electronic Arts and the industry,” he stressed.

The Consortium’s agreement to acquire EA was previously announced on September 29, 2025, and was approved by EA stockholders at the special meeting of stockholders held on December 22, 2025, said EA in a statement.

"This moment recognizes the extraordinary people whose creativity, ambition and passion have made EA one of the world's leading interactive entertainment companies," said Andrew Wilson, Chairman & CEO of Electronic Arts.

"We're entering this next chapter from a position of strength with partners who share our vision and ambition. Together, we'll invest boldly, accelerate innovation, and build the next generation of games and experiences for the hundreds of millions of players and fans who inspire us every day,” he added.

“EA’s franchises are some of the most beloved in entertainment, combining exceptional creative talent with a relentless focus on players,” said Egon Durban, CEO and Managing Partner of Silver Lake.

“As long-term investors in technology, we admire how EA’s innovation fuels imagination and human connection. We’re proud to join with PIF and Affinity Partners to invest heavily in EA’s growth, including what AI can do to enhance game development and player experience, and excited to partner with Andrew and the EA team as they raise the bar for fans everywhere,” he went on to say.

“EA has created stories, characters, and communities that have become part of everyday life for hundreds of millions of people,” said Jared Kushner, Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Partners.

“We're excited to support the company as it continues to reach new audiences, inspire the next generation of creators, and expand the ways people around the world connect through play,” he stated.

With the transaction complete, EA stockholders will receive $210 in cash for each share of EA common stock they owned as of the closing. EA’s common stock has ceased trading and will be delisted from NASDAQ.



Bolivia Approves $1.9 Billion IMF Deal, Eliminates Diesel Subsidies

A person is counting dollars in La Paz, Bolivia, 10 July 2026. (EPA)
A person is counting dollars in La Paz, Bolivia, 10 July 2026. (EPA)
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Bolivia Approves $1.9 Billion IMF Deal, Eliminates Diesel Subsidies

A person is counting dollars in La Paz, Bolivia, 10 July 2026. (EPA)
A person is counting dollars in La Paz, Bolivia, 10 July 2026. (EPA)

Bolivian lawmakers approved a $1.9 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund on Friday, delivering the conservative government a key victory in its efforts to ease the country's deep economic crisis as unions threatened renewed protests.

Just hours after Congress approved the loan, President Rodrigo Paz announced an immediate end to subsidies for the diesel powering Bolivia’s trucks, buses and tractors — a step toward meeting IMF demands. Gasoline, used mainly in private cars, would remain subsidized for now, though Paz had already scaled back that support in recent months, The Associated Press said.

The Senate ratified the IMF agreement a day after the lower house approved it, clearing the final legislative hurdle for the three-year financing program aimed at replenishing dwindling foreign reserves and stabilizing the ailing economy marked by high inflation and weak growth. The IMF first announced the staff-level agreement in July after months of negotiations with Paz’s market-friendly government, which took power last year after nearly two decades of socialist rule as part of a wave of new Latin American leaders allied with the Trump administration.

The program still requires approval from the IMF’s executive board before funds can be disbursed. Economy Minister Christian Morales told senators that the deal would give other lenders, including the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank, greater confidence in the government and help it secure about $5 billion in additional financing.

But the assistance is conditioned on tough economic measures, including the elimination of fuel subsidies, that threaten to reignite unrest in Bolivia, where weeks of road blockades in June and July paralyzed much of the South American nation as demonstrators demanded Paz’s resignation. Congress on Thursday extended for another 90 days a state of emergency that Paz had declared to clear roads during the protests. It allows for military intervention and the suspension of some civil liberties.

The Bolivian Workers’ Central, the country’s main labor federation, and other unions have voiced fierce opposition to the IMF loan, warning that the government spending cuts required under the deal would drive up living costs and deepen hardship for struggling families.

Although Paz’s Christian Democratic Party lacks a majority in Congress, the centrist and right-wing lawmakers that dominate both chambers rallied behind the deal. The Movement Toward Socialism, the party that dominated Bolivian politics after the former coca growers’ union leader Evo Morales won the presidency in 2005, now holds just two of the 130 seats in the lower house and none in the 36-member Senate.

Declining natural gas exports have deprived Bolivia of dollars needed to import gasoline and diesel, contributing to chronic fuel shortages that began in 2023 and have persisted under Paz. The Iran war has pushed up global fuel costs, making fuel subsidies an even greater burden on public finances.

“No one can buy something expensive and sell it cheap,” Paz said in his late-night declaration that diesel in Bolivia would now be sold at international prices.

To cushion the blow, he announced about $79 million in cash assistance for 2.9 million Bolivians, along with loans on preferential terms for truckers, small businesses and producers facing higher diesel costs. He pledged to redirect subsidy spending toward schools, hospitals and roads.


IMF Says Lebanon Economic Activity to Contract Sharply in 2026 as Conflict Weighs

FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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IMF Says Lebanon Economic Activity to Contract Sharply in 2026 as Conflict Weighs

FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A view of the International Monetary Fund logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., US, November 24, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday that Lebanon's economic activity is expected to contract significantly in 2026 ‌as the ‌conflict in ‌the ⁠Middle East and broader ⁠regional security tensions continue to damage economic activity, infrastructure ⁠and living conditions, Reuters reported.

The ‌IMF ‌said inflation ‌remained in ‌the double digits and the country's current account deficit ‌had widened, largely due to higher ⁠energy ⁠costs, while infrastructure damage, internal displacement, and deteriorating living standards had added to economic pressures.


Oil Prices Fall on Easing Fears Over Saudi Supply Disruption

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, September 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, September 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
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Oil Prices Fall on Easing Fears Over Saudi Supply Disruption

FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, September 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, September 2, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Oil prices fell 2% on Friday, extending losses for a third straight session as easing concerns over Saudi supply disruptions outweighed anxiety about a widening of conflict across the Middle East.

Brent crude futures fell by $2.14, or 2%, to $102.68 a barrel by 0806 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate futures fell $1.83, or 1.8%, to $100.08, Reuters reported.

Benchmark Brent prices are on track for their first weekly loss in three.

Prices climbed to close to four-month highs earlier in the week after sources said crude loadings ⁠at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub of Yanbu had been suspended and Riyadh cancelled some deliveries to Europe after its East-West pipeline was damaged in an attack last week.

However, prices have cooled since on reports that Saudi Arabia was seeking to restore about half the capacity of its East-West oil pipeline within days.

Saudi Arabia has sold about 60 million barrels of crude from its Gulf port of Ras Tanura inside the Strait of Hormuz for loading via ship-to-ship transfer at the Omani port of Sohar this month and next, multiple trade sources said on Friday.

The rebound in Saudi Aramco's exports from inside the Gulf to between 1 million to 1.5 million barrels per day on average, similar to or slightly higher than August's levels, has cooled global oil prices as it could make up for some of the ⁠volume lost at its port of Yanbu.

Chinese and South Korean refiners are among the top buyers of the spot supplies, while some volumes will be going to India and Japan, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Recent efforts ‌to restore Saudi export capacity have reduced some of the immediate supply ‌anxiety," said Priyanka Sachdeva, head of market insights at Phillip Nova.