JEDDAH: Following a series of rights issues during 2014 and 2015, many local insurers are now actively choosing to operate at a stronger level of capitalization than in the past, according to a top rating agency.
“We believe gross premiums in Saudi Arabia could rise by nearly 25 percent in 2015, principally fueled by tariff increases, to over SR35 billion ($9.3 billion) for the full year,” said a press release from Standard and Poors Ratings Services.
“We expect the third quarter and 2015 year-end results to confirm the generally improving earnings trend of the past 18 months,” it stated.
“There are still no signs of any of the 34 companies in Saudi Arabia’s crowded insurance sector attempting to overcome legal and financial impediments to mergers and acquisitions,” said the agency.
“Although performance varies considerably among the 34 companies, Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services considers that the general trend is a positive one, encompassing improving tariffs, increasing earnings, enhanced capitalization, and growing total premium volumes,” said the report.
The S&P team explained they they expect the sector’s full-year 2015 gross premiums to be about 25 percent higher than those in 2014, largely because of price increases on the main insurance lines — group medical and motor.
“Growing demand for insurance in the near term, combined with regulatory encouragement of highly prudential “actuarial pricing” after the price war of 2012-2013, means that Saudi Arabia’s insurers are showing few signs of being affected by the fall in oil prices, though the subject of oil revenues remains a central concern at sovereign and macroeconomic levels,” said the report.
“Oil prices may have fallen well below $50 per barrel over the past 12 months — they routinely reached $115 per barrel (Brent Index) in mid-2014 — but Saudi insurers write relatively little commercial or industrial risk business, and retain less,” the report pointed out.
“Consequently, we consider that the strong growth in sector premiums is likely being driven by the demographics of an expanding population. There are some 30 million to 20 million Saudi nationals, plus 10 million foreign workers and dependents, who increasingly require insurance cover for their possessions and travel,” said the S&P report.
“Additionally, many local employers are now offering their Saudi staff access to the same group medical cover that is compulsory for their foreign colleagues,” it added.
Nearly all Saudi insurers are experiencing clear earnings benefits from the improved pricing environment in their single, domestic market.
The often underpriced business written during the 2012-2013 price war is running off and the more attractive margins on more recent business are emerging as profit. This takes time in Saudi Arabia because insurers typically hold sizeable unearned premium reserves and it is compulsory, but often technically redundant, to hold bad and doubtful debt provisions on all premium income deferred by more than 90 days from contract inception, S&P added.
Total results for H2 2015 are likely to comfortably exceed the SR183.2 million of post-tax comprehensive earnings reported for H1 2015, although performance will continue to vary greatly from company to company, according to S&P.
“Many insurers have told us that they have seen robust rate rises of 15 percent — 20 percent or more in 2015. Of Saudi Arabia’s 34 local insurers, 21 reported positive comprehensive net income for the first half of 2015 totaling SR602.0 million, while 13 reported cumulative first half losses of SR418.8 million,” added the report.
In most cases, those companies reporting losses despite the increasingly attractive pricing environment are relatively recent start-up companies such as MetLife, AIG & ANB Cooperative Insurance Co., which commenced active trading in 2014, or health insurance specialist, Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance Co., which became operational in 2013 but only wrote SR36.3 million of gross premiums during the first half of 2015.
In such cases, the high fixed costs, charges, and taxes associated with operating in Saudi Arabia will continue to consume pretax income until business volumes and margins rise sufficiently to help generate an overall profit. That said, internal operational and administrative issues have also affected some companies, leading to losses at several longer-established insurers, where the underlying book f business could normally be expected to generate robust earnings in current market conditions.
The report said that Tawuniya, BUPA Arabia, and MedGulf booked a full 52.4 percent of all the premium written in Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2015.
Over the same period, the top 15 insurers wrote SR16.2 billion or 85.2 percent of the sector’s total gross premiums of SR19.0 billion. Little premium was left for the sector’s other 19 companies.
“We do not expect the business breakdown to change much in 2015 and 2016, compared with 2014. In 2014, medical insurance comprised 51.6 percent of the sector’s GPW and 60.2 percent of net premium written, and motor accounted for 26.3 percent of gross and 31.2 percent of net premiums. Thus, these two lines together represented over 90 percent of all net retained business in Saudi Arabia. In our view, primary insurers will continue to cede most of their commercial and industrial exposure to international reinsurers, given the attractive rates and commissions available in the current soft reinsurance market,” S&P said.
Tariff increases and new business to boost Saudi insurance sector
Tariff increases and new business to boost Saudi insurance sector
Saudi media giant SRMG’s revenue surges to $997m
RIYADH: Saudi Research and Media Group’s revenues hit SR3.74 billion ($997 million) in 2023, reflecting a 0.98 percent increase compared to 2022 figures.
According to a Tadawul statement, this increase in sales is primarily attributed to enhanced revenue generated by the publishing and visual and digital content segment, as well as other divisions.
However, the printing and packaging business witnessed a decline in revenues due to several planned projects not being secured.
The total shareholders’ equity for the parent company, after excluding non-controlling interest, as of Dec. 31, 2023, stands at SR3.08 billion, reflecting a 16.26 percent increase compared to the corresponding period a year earlier.
Meanwhile, SRMG’s net profits reached SR559 million by the end of last year, showing a decrease of 13.74 percent compared to the same period in 2022.
The decline was primarily attributed to the drop in revenue of the printing and packaging division, along with the goodwill impairment associated with the same segment, in addition to the operating costs of certain projects.
In January, SRMG, the largest integrated media group from the Middle East and North Africa region, announced the appointment of several new editors-in-chief, deputy editors-in-chief, and assistant editors-in-chief.
This announcement aligned well with SRMG’s digital transformation, growth, and expansion strategy, showcasing the group’s dedication to cultivating the next generation of journalists and media professionals to meet the demands of audiences worldwide.
Moreover, this decision reflected the significant shift in regional media consumption habits, particularly with the increasing popularity of digital, social, and audio-visual media platforms.
Foreign direct investment inflows to Saudi Arabia hit $5.17bn in Q4 2023
RIYADH: Foreign direct investment inflows to Saudi Arabia rose 17 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the previous period, according to recent data.
The analysis, released by the General Authority of Statistics, utilizes an updated approach characterized by heightened transparency and governance standards. FDI inflows were shown to have reached SR19.38 billion ($5.17 billion), up from SR16.6 billion in the third quarter.
FDI outflows, representing the Kingdom’s investments in foreign countries, also increased by around 17 percent to SR6.19 billion during this period. Consequently, the net inflow, reflecting the difference between the two, reached SR13.187 billion.
The updated methodology for calculating FDIs aligns with international standards and was developed to enhance accuracy and comprehensiveness through collaborative efforts by the Ministry of Investment, the General Authority for Statistics, and the Saudi Central Bank, in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund.
The new methodology reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to enhancing investment promotion and transparency, aiming to create an attractive global financial environment.
This effort includes initiatives such as the National Investment Strategy, the Regional Headquarters Program, and zero-income tax incentives for foreign companies. These measures are seen as essential for advancing Vision 2030, which aims to expand and diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy.
In 2023, the Kingdom saw a 12 percent increase in FDI inflows, reaching SR72.28 billion compared to SR64.6 billion in 2022. This excludes a major SR58.1 billion deal with Aramco in 2022, where a consortium led by BlackRock Real Assets and Hassana Investment Co. acquired a 49 percent stake in a new gas pipeline subsidiary.
Saudi Arabia’s regional headquarters program has attracted multinational corporations like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon to establish operations in the Kingdom. Additionally, companies such as Northern Trust, Bechtel, and Pepsico from the US, as well as IHG Hotels & Resorts, PwC, and Deloitte from the UK, have joined this initiative.
These moves enable these companies to participate in government contracts, energize Saudi Arabia’s hospitality sector, and establish it as a global business hub.
Looking ahead, the Kingdom aims to achieve an FDI inflow target of SR388 billion by 2030, equivalent to 5.7 percent of gross domestic product, while positioning itself among the 15 largest economies in the world.
Unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia drops to 4.4% in Q4 2023: GASTAT
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s overall unemployment rate dropped to 4.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, marking a decrease of 0.4 percentage points from the same period in 2022.
When compared with the previous three months, the latest report from the General Authority for Statistics revealed a 0.7 percentage point decline in the Kingdom’s joblessness rate in the fourth quarter of 2023.
GASTAT data showed that non-employment among Saudi nationals stood at 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter of last year, indicating a decrease of 0.3 percentage points compared to the same period in 2022.
However, the participation of locals in the labor force during the last three months of 2023 decreased by 1.2 percentage points year on year, reaching 51.3 percent.
Reducing the number of people without jobs is a crucial objective outlined in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, with goals set for such rate to decrease to 7 percent by the end of the decade, alongside a projected women’s participation rate in the workforce of 30 percent.
In the fourth quarter, the unemployment rate among Saudi females decreased by 2.6 percentage points to 13.7 percent compared to the previous three months.
For Saudi males, this remained unchanged at 4.6 percent in the fourth quarter, while their labor force participation decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 66.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the employment-to-population ratio among women increased by 0.6 percentage points to 30.70 percent during the same period.
The GASTAT survey revealed that a significant 94.9 percent of Saudi nationals without jobs are open to working in the Kingdom’s private sector.
Moreover, 80.1 percent of non-employed Saudi females and 91 percent of males indicated that they would accept work for eight hours or more per day.
The report showed that 62.1 percent of non-employed Saudi females and 43.8 percent of males are willing to commute for a maximum of one hour.
The most commonly used active job search method among Saudis was to seek assistance from friends and relatives, with 85.6 percent of aspirants following this practice.
GASTAT reported that 73 percent of Saudi job seekers applied directly to employers, while 59.4 percent made use of the National Employment Platform, also known as Jadarat.
Oil Updates - prices advance as investors reassess US inventories data
TOKYO: Oil prices edged up on Thursday, following two consecutive sessions of decline, as investors reassessed the latest data on US crude oil and gasoline inventories and returned to buying mode, according to Reuters.
Brent crude futures for May were up 31 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $86.40 a barrel while the more actively traded June contract rose 32 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $85.73 at 7:15 a.m. Saudi time. The May contract expires on Thursday.
US West Texas Intermediate crude futures for May delivery were up 39 cents, or 0.50 percent, to $81.74 a barrel.
Both benchmarks were on track to finish higher for a third consecutive month, and were up about 4.5 percent from last month.
In the prior session, oil prices were pressured following last week’s unexpected rise in US crude oil and gasoline inventories, driven by a rise in crude imports and sluggish gasoline demand, according to Energy Information Administration data.
However, the crude stock increase was smaller than the build projected by the American Petroleum Institute.
“We ... expect US inventories to rise less than normal in reflection of a global oil market in a slight deficit,” Bjarne Schieldrop, chief commodities analyst at SEB Research, said in a note, adding: “This will likely hand support to the Brent crude oil price going forward.”
Also providing support to prices were US refinery utilization rates, which rose 0.9 percentage points last week.
Recent disappointing inflation data affirms the case for the US Federal Reserve to hold off on cutting its short-term interest rate target, a Fed governor said on Wednesday, but he did not rule out trimming rates later in the year.
“The market is converging on a June start to cuts for both the Fed and the European Central Bank,” JPMorgan analysts said in a note. Lower interest rates support oil demand.
Investors will watch for cues from a meeting next week of the Joint Monitoring Ministerial Committee of producer group the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries amid supply concerns over geopolitical risks.
OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, are is unlikely to make any oil output policy changes until a full ministerial gathering in June, but any sign of members not sticking to current production quotas will be viewed as bearish, analysts at ANZ Research said.
“The lack of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas continues to keep tension in the Middle East elevated,” ANZ said.
Dubai sees 550% annual rise in global SMEs attracted to the emirate
RIYADH: Asian and Australian businesses helped fuel a 550 percent annual rise in small and medium enterprises setting up in Dubai in 2023, according to a report.
The emirate’s international chamber has revealed 104 SMEs were attracted to Dubai in the 12 months to the end of December, a development that underlines its ambitions to double the size of the emirate’s economy and consolidate its position among the top three global cities.
According to a statement, 32 percent of the firms shifting to the emirate were from the Middle East and Eurasia, followed by Asian and Australian SMEs at 29 percent.
Latin America and Europe accounted for 26 percent of companies, while 13 percent attracted were from Africa.
The top sector for these SMEs was trade and logistics at 17 percent, followed by IT at 13 percent, and food and agricultural firms third with 10 percent.
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers, attributed the rise to the emirate’s business-friendly environment, the ongoing development of services together with favorable legislation, and the diverse range of investment opportunities available.
He added: “Our network of international representative offices in key global markets has effectively promoted Dubai’s business community and highlighted the emirate’s value for companies seeking global expansion.
“We remain dedicated to contributing to the objectives of the Dubai Economic Agenda, with a primary focus on attracting foreign direct investments in both traditional and emerging sectors.”
The growth in SMEs from across the globe moving to Dubai sits alongside a goal from the emirate’s leadership to see home-grown small businesses expand overseas.
The total number of representative offices across the world operated by the Dubai International Chamber increased by 16 in 2023 and now stands at 31.
This expansion received additional fuel in January when Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed announced a 500 million dirham ($136.16 million) plan to help SMEs tap into global markets.
The initiative was launched in conjunction with Emirates NBD, Dubai’s biggest lender by market value, and will see the bank provide financing to companies at competitive rates.
According to a release at the time, the SME sector accounts for 60 percent of the workforce in the emirate.