PIF Delivers Strong Revenue and Profit Growth in 2025

(PIF)
(PIF)
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PIF Delivers Strong Revenue and Profit Growth in 2025

(PIF)
(PIF)

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) published its 2025 Annual Report, demonstrating strong financial performance and continued progress against its long-term objectives. As a long-term investor with a unique mandate to drive the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia and deliver sustainable financial returns, PIF maintained a diversified portfolio in 2025, balancing returns with national impact and long-term resilience.

In 2025, revenue rose 9% year on year to $120 billion, while net profit more than doubled to $17 billion, supported by stronger contributions from maturing portfolio companies. PIF retained over $900 billion in assets under management and achieved an annualized total shareholder return of 5.8% since 2017, SPA reported.

Total shareholder return in 2025 was positively driven by increased dividends from portfolio companies and returns from financial investments. It was also impacted by downward movements in the valuations of some assets, driven by broader market conditions, while PIF continued to make long-term local investments to drive economic transformation.

PIF demonstrated its access to diversified and efficient sources of funding throughout the year, including issuance of a debut euro-denominated green bond and the establishment of a commercial paper program to provide flexible short-term finance.

PIF continued to hold strong long-term ratings with Moody’s (Aa3, stable outlook) and Fitch (A+, stable outlook) while securing an inaugural A-1 short-term rating from S&P, reflecting PIF’s strong credit profile and reinforcing investor confidence.

PIF launched major new companies in 2025, including HUMAIN, marking a major step in advancing AI capabilities, and Expo 2030 Riyadh Company, to build and operate Riyadh’s Expo 2030 facilities as Saudi Arabia prepares to welcome the world.

PIF also continued to develop priority sectors and ecosystems and deepen private sector participation. From 2021 to 2025, PIF invested more than $199 billion in Saudi Arabia, as it continued to drive the country’s economic transformation.

Chief of Staff and Secretary General to the Board at PIF Maram Aljohani said: “Throughout 2025, PIF continued to drive Saudi Arabia’s economic development and diversification through long-term investments and the launch of strategic companies. PIF contributed 11% of Saudi Arabia’s total non-oil GDP in 2025 and contributed more than $342 billion cumulatively from 2021-2025.

“PIF also expanded its international presence in 2025 through the opening of new subsidiary company offices in Europe and Asia and through targeted investments across key markets, resulting in a 12% growth in its international investments. This progress was underpinned by continued institutional excellence and robust governance frameworks, as PIF accelerated its evolution into a fully digital-native, AI-enabled investment institution and reinforced its position among the world’s leading sovereign wealth funds in Global SWF’s 2025 governance, sustainability, and resilience (GSR) rankings.

“Over the next strategic phase, PIF is evolving towards six interconnected domestic ecosystems to drive sustainable value, while investing internationally in high-conviction opportunities in long-term global trends.”

Chief Financial Officer and Acting Head of Global Capital Finance Division at PIF Yasir Alsalman said: “Building on a sustained period of growth and disciplined investment, 2025 marked another defining year for PIF. In 2025, PIF more than doubled net profit year on year and maintained its strong financial position with over $900 billion in assets under management.

“PIF continued to deploy capital across priority sectors, with cumulative domestic deployment reaching more than $199 billion between 2021 and 2025, while deepening strategic international partnerships, including signing multiple agreements with the world’s leading asset managers, in 2025.

“As we enter the next five-year phase of our investment strategy, PIF will continue to drive sustained value creation, portfolio maturity and stronger financial performance through the six ecosystems of its Vision portfolio, as well as its Strategic and Financial portfolios.”

PIF continued to deploy capital internationally across strategic sectors, including infrastructure, technology, advanced manufacturing, and financial services, while bringing capital, knowledge, and expertise to Saudi Arabia.

In 2025, PIF signed agreements with Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Macquarie Asset Management and SACE, among others, driving capital mobilization and inward investment into Saudi Arabia and expanding PIF’s strong strategic relationships with leading global financial institutions.

To deepen engagement in priority markets, PIF expanded its global presence by opening new subsidiary offices in Paris, Beijing and Shanghai, adding to its existing footprint in London, New York and Hong Kong.

According to SPA, throughout 2025, PIF continued to drive institutional development, embedding advanced data, analytics and AI across its operating model. Throughout the year, PIF launched 100 new digital applications and activated 43 high-impact AI-enabled solutions, while strengthening secure infrastructure and expanding centralized digital platforms that enhance investment insight, operational efficiency, and institutional agility.

Brand Finance, the world’s leading independent brand valuation company, ranked PIF as the most valuable and fastest-growing brand in the world among all sovereign wealth funds, with an A+ rating, for the second consecutive year.

2025 marked the last year of PIF’s 2021-2025 strategy. PIF has now moved into the next phase of its long-term strategy - PIF’s 2026-2030 strategy - focused on delivering competitive ecosystems, unlocking the full potential of strategic assets and maximizing long-term returns.

In this next phase, PIF will continue to deploy capital strategically and at scale to drive long-term value realization, including in domestic ecosystems and high-conviction international opportunities across global themes such as AI, energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and sports and entertainment.



Binance Reportedly Under US Scrutiny Over Possible Iran Sanctions Violations

FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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Binance Reportedly Under US Scrutiny Over Possible Iran Sanctions Violations

FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Smartphone with displayed Binance logo and representation of cryptocurrencies are placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken, June 8, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

US federal prosecutors are investigating whether Binance violated sanctions on Iran by failing to prevent certain trading activity on its platform, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Here are a few details:

The probe is being led by the Manhattan US attorney's office, with the Justice Department's criminal division in Washington ⁠also involved, Bloomberg News ⁠reported, adding that authorities are examining whether Binance knowingly allowed the trading.

Binance said in a statement that it has a zero-tolerance approach to sanctions violations. "We fully cooperate with law enforcement, and ⁠we remain committed to rooting out and shutting down bad actors."

The DOJ declined to comment to Reuters, while the Manhattan US attorney's office could not immediately be reached for a comment outside regular business hours.

Binance has faced US scrutiny in the past. In 2023, Binance's then-chief Changpeng Zhao stepped down and pleaded guilty to breaking US ⁠anti-money ⁠laundering laws as part of a $4.3 billion settlement resolving a years-long probe into the world's largest crypto exchange.

The US government earlier this month imposed sanctions on firms and individuals it says are helping Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the Middle East, intensifying its campaign to isolate Iran economically.


World Bank, IMF Back Changes to Debt Framework for Poor Countries

01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
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World Bank, IMF Back Changes to Debt Framework for Poor Countries

01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)
01 November 2009, US, Washington: The logo of the World Bank is seen at the headquarters in Washington. (dpa)

The World Bank and International Monetary Fund said on Monday that both their executive boards had approved proposed reforms of their joint framework for evaluating the debt of low-income countries to reflect a more complex and riskier environment.

A joint review, the first since 2017, recommended changes in several areas, including beefing up the analysis of domestic debt held by poor countries, and broadening consideration of long-term development challenges, including climate change. It stopped short of calling for a wholesale redesign.

The reforms are intended to refine how the IMF and World Bank measure a country's debt-carrying capacity and provide new tools to better differentiate between countries facing some risk of debt stress and those whose debt is deemed unsustainable.

The World Bank and IMF said they would also work ‌to enhance the tools ‌and stress tests used to ensure the consistency and accuracy of forecasts, while ‌encouraging ⁠countries to improve reporting ⁠and transparency of their debt data. They left the discount rate used in making assessments unchanged at 5%.

"Overall, our goal is a very practical one. It is to help countries identify vulnerabilities earlier and also more precisely, so that they can make better-informed financing choices and better-informed policy choices," said Allison Holland, who worked on the new debt sustainability framework and now serves as deputy director in the IMF's African Department.

Holland said recent shocks had reversed improvements in the debt landscape seen since 2021, taking the number of countries at high risk or already in debt distress back ⁠to pre-pandemic levels.

"Around 14% of low-income countries are in debt distress, and another 33% ‌are at high risk. About 23% of emerging market countries are at ‌high risk of overall sovereign stress," she said.

The revised framework could help inform a debt restructuring requested earlier this month ‌by Senegal in exchange for a $2.2 billion IMF bailout two years after a hidden debt scandal that pushed ‌it into crisis. The IMF has said it will assess Senegal's debt sustainability using the current framework, "while taking into account the implications of the transition" to the new one.

The IMF has not provided details on how the revised framework — with consideration of domestic debt — could affect Senegal's debt restructuring.

TAKING EFFECT IN SECOND HALF OF 2027

The changes, which will become operational in the second half ‌of 2027, should help countries better assess how much they can invest in needed development and climate adaptation measures while containing debt vulnerabilities over the long ⁠term, the IMF and World ⁠Bank said.

A review completed in July confirmed that the debt sustainability framework, first introduced in 2005, had worked well to identify debt distress episodes ahead of time and help countries make informed borrowing and lending decisions.

But it recommended changes to account for higher debt levels in many low-income countries and a shift in financing sources to include more domestic and external borrowing on commercial terms. The IMF and World Bank have a separate framework for assessing the debt sustainability of advanced and emerging market economies that will be reviewed in coming years.

The IMF said near- and medium-term economic projections that feed into the analyses had generally been reliable, but longer-term forecasts of exports and revenues had shown some "optimism bias" and left data gaps, including for state-owned enterprises.

The new framework introduces a long-term module to add granularity to risk assessments, as well as specific thresholds for overall public debt stress.

But IMF board members agreed to temporarily hold off publishing the models used to assess unsustainable debt to give time to adjust to the new methodologies. Stand-alone staff notes would be used to share data with the board for now, it said.


'AlUla Peregrina': From Fields to Global Markets

A Saudi woman works on products derived from the Peregrina tree in AlUla.
A Saudi woman works on products derived from the Peregrina tree in AlUla.
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'AlUla Peregrina': From Fields to Global Markets

A Saudi woman works on products derived from the Peregrina tree in AlUla.
A Saudi woman works on products derived from the Peregrina tree in AlUla.

In AlUla, where the Peregrina tree has been part of the local environment for generations, the tree is taking a new path from fields to laboratories and global markets. Rather than simply marketing raw materials, AlUla Peregrina is seeking to develop oils, extracts, and natural ingredients for applications in beauty and personal care, adding value to a local resource before it reaches overseas markets.

AlUla Peregrina was established in 2021 by the Royal Commission for AlUla, with the aim of developing economic uses for the tree and its extracts. The company is now expanding its applications in skincare, haircare, and wellness products, while also developing its presence in international markets.

The strategy comes as efforts to increase the added value of local resources and expand non-oil exports gain importance. The company is betting that developing and manufacturing ingredients within Saudi Arabia can generate greater economic returns than exporting raw materials, while creating opportunities for products that carry Saudi knowledge and technology into international markets.

In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Eng. Abobakar Alanazi, Chairman of the Board of AlUla Peregrina, said the company's ambition is to establish AlUla Peregrina as a leading Saudi platform for high-quality active natural ingredients, expanding from AlUla into regional and global markets, with a focus on skincare, haircare, and personal care.

Added Value

According to Alanazi, the company is gradually building a presence in international markets, benefiting from growing demand for natural ingredients with traceable origins and scientific evidence, alongside increasing interest in responsible supply chains.

He said the goal extends beyond exporting a Saudi product to developing ingredients and products based on local natural resources and combining scientific research, development, and manufacturing within Saudi Arabia, thereby increasing the product's added value before it reaches overseas markets.

Development efforts focus on the Arabian Peregrina tree, Moringa peregrina, and its natural compounds, including ceramides, plant exosomes, bioactive peptides, and antioxidants. Alanazi said the company has developed a range of oils and extracts that can be used in various skincare applications.

The development of these products is based on scientific research, laboratory testing, and clinical evaluations to verify their effectiveness before moving into commercial applications. Alanazi said these efforts have resulted in four registered patents, reflecting part of the company's research and development work.

Hospitality Sector

In the hospitality sector, Alanazi said the company is developing customized formulations and solutions for hotels and spas, inspired by Arab traditions of personal care but presented in contemporary formulations. These solutions include formulations and fragrances that can be tailored to reflect the identity of each establishment rather than offering a standardized product.

He explained that product development begins by identifying the needs of the market and partners, followed by scientific and technical evaluation before arriving at the final formulation.

On sustainability, he said responsible practices form part of the company's business model and supply chain, from cultivation and harvesting in cooperation with local farmers to the processing and development of ingredients in AlUla. The company is focusing on tracing raw materials and identifying their sources and journey throughout the production process, alongside responsible sourcing practices.

He noted that the supply chain has undergone verification by the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) in relation to responsible sourcing, in line with relevant international standards. He said developing processing and production operations within Saudi Arabia contributes to increasing local added value and supports the emergence of an integrated economic value chain around the activity in the region.

The company is also working to strengthen the participation of local farmers and suppliers, transfer knowledge, and develop the capabilities needed to support the growth of the natural ingredients sector in Saudi Arabia.

Economic Diversification

Alanazi said AlUla Peregrina's business model aligns with several objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, particularly economic diversification, increasing local content, and developing value-added industries, while also benefiting from growth in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“We are transforming a natural resource from AlUla into ingredients and products that are developed and manufactured locally, creating economic value beyond the sale of raw materials,” he said.

He added that the growth of tourism and hospitality in Saudi Arabia is creating opportunities to develop Saudi solutions for hotels, resorts, and the wellness sector that are connected to the identity of the place and the visitor experience.

He pointed to an opportunity to develop a specialized sector for natural ingredients and their applications in personal care and beauty that could expand beyond the domestic market, bringing together natural resources, scientific research, manufacturing, and services linked to tourism and hospitality.

International Expansion

The Chairman of the Board said exports are a key pillar of the company's growth strategy, amid growing global demand for natural ingredients with traceable origins and scientific evidence supporting their use.

“What distinguishes our model is that the added value is created within Saudi Arabia, starting with the natural resource and research and development, through processing and manufacturing, and ultimately to the finished product or ingredient tailored for overseas markets,” he said.

He explained that the company is not simply seeking to export raw materials, but to develop specialized, higher-value products and ingredients.

Alanazi revealed that the company is working to expand its commercial relationships and presence in international markets through trade fairs and specialized platforms, as well as by building partnerships with global companies and brands. He said international expansion could support the growth of Saudi non-oil exports while opening new markets for products and ingredients developed locally.

The long-term goal, he added, is for products developed in AlUla to reach global markets under the “Made in Saudi” brand, reflecting not only their country of origin but also the development, knowledge, and manufacturing added to the products locally.