RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Thursday, losing 101.16 points, or 0.82 percent, to close at 12,254.53. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR6.9 billion ($1.84 billion) as 75 stocks advanced while 144 retreated.  

Similarly, the MSCI Tadawul Index decreased by 8.99 points, or 0.58 percent, to close at 1,539.63.

The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, increased, gaining 362.13 points, or 1.38 percent, to close at 26,688.25. This comes as 34 stocks advanced while as many as 27 retreated.

The best-performing stock of the day was Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. The company’s share price surged by 6.39 percent to SR11.32.

Other top performers include Etihad Atheeb Telecommunication Co. and Saudi Cable Co., whose share prices soared by 5.57 percent and 5.35 percent, to stand at SR125and SR74.8 respectively. National Metal Manufacturing and Casting Co. and Saudi Steel Pipe Co. also fared well.

The worst performer was Al Sagr Cooperative Insurance Co., whose share price dropped by 7.11 percent to SR33.30.

ACWA Power as well as Bawan Co., did not perform well as their share prices dropped by 6.87 percent and 5.78 percent to stand at SR420 and SR44, respectively.

On the announcements front, a general assembly of Bank AlJazira approved increasing the capital by SR2.05 billion, representing a 25 percent increase. 

This growth will be achieved through the capitalization of a portion of the statutory reserves, granting one share for every four shares to strengthen the bank’s capital base and enable it to achieve its strategic objectives, according to Al-Ekhbariya.

Additionally, authorization was granted to the board of directors to distribute interim dividends on a semi-annual/quarterly basis for the fiscal year 2024. Approval was also given to the compensation and benefits policy for senior executives at Bank AlJazira.

Moreover, the profits of Banque Saudi Fransi rose to SR1.15 billion during the first quarter of 2024, a 7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, which stood at SR1.07 billion.

The bank attributed this growth to a rise in commission income by 27.5 percent, primarily due to higher returns on financing and investments. However, there was a slight decrease in net commission income by 0.3 percent due to an increase in specific commission expenses.

Additionally, total operating expenses decreased 6.2 percent, mainly due to a reduction in the provision for expected credit losses on loans and advances. This was partially offset by an increase in the provision for other financial assets and rising staff salaries and expenses.

On another note, the stock of Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance SJSC, Al Rajhi Takaful, which is counted for in the insurance sector on the main market, recorded its highest price since listing on April 25, at SR142.

Furthermore, Saudi Exchange approved the listing request for government debt instruments issued by Saudi Arabia, totaling SR5.1 billion.

These instruments comprise issuance number 2024-04-07, valued at SR1.6 billion, and 2024-04-12, valued at SR3.5 billion. Trading of these instruments will commence on April 29.

Additionally, Rawabi Holding Co., also referred to as Rawabi, has successfully concluded its largest Saudi Riyal-denominated sukuk issuance, totaling SR1.2 billion. Driven by high market demand, this milestone surpasses Rawabi’s previous issuance record of SR875 million in 2023.

Since the launch of its sukuk program in 2020, Rawabi Holding has issued approximately SR6.5 billion across 18 tranches and redeemed seven tranches totaling around SR2.9 billion.

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani accountability court judge recently barred former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, from issuing “derogatory” or “inflammatory” statements against state institutions and their officials. 

Khan, who was PM from 2018-2022, remains jailed in multiple cases, including a 14-year jail sentence for him and his wife for the illegal sale of state gifts. Khan was first imprisoned after being handed a three-year prison sentence in August 2023 by the Election Commission for not declaring assets earned from selling gifts worth more than 140 million rupees ($501,000) in state possession and received during his premiership. In January, Khan and wife Bushra Bibi were handed 14-year jail terms following a separate investigation by the country’s top anti-graft body into the same charges involving state gifts. 

Khan blames Pakistan’s powerful military, which has ruled the country directly for over 30 years, for colluding with his rivals to remove him from office via a parliamentary vote in April 2022 and subsequently cracking down on his supporters. The military denies his accusations and has repeatedly said it does not interfere in political matters. 

On Friday, accountability court judge Nasir Javed Rana heard Khan’s petition requesting a fair trial. The PTI founder had sought the removal of glass and wooden structures erected at the Central Prison in Rawalpindi, where an appeal against his conviction is being heard. He had also alleged that reporters were not being allowed to attend proceedings, saying that the actions violated the principles of an open trial ordered by the court. 

“The accused persons shall refrain from making any political, inflammatory and/or derogatory statements vis-a-vis state institutions and the officials insinuating anything to them,” a copy of the order, seen by Arab News that emerged on Thursday, read. 

“The media personnel shall confine their reporting to the proceedings of the trial and shall not publish/report any statements in the trial proceedings, as witness or as counsel,” it added. 

Khan’s convictions mean he is banned from holding public office and ruled the 71-year-old out of general elections earlier this year. Arguably Pakistan’s most popular politician, Khan says all cases against him are motivated to keep him out of politics.

Tensions between Khan and the military escalated in May 2023, when angry supporters of his party took to the streets in response to his brief detention, and torched government buildings and ransacked military installations in many parts of the country. 

The army cracked down on Khan’s supporters and leaders following the attacks. Khan denied he had incited his supporters to protest violently, saying he was in detention when they erupted.