RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is looking for further international partnerships as part of its ambitious aim to become the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF managing director, said that global investment alliances would be a central part of a four-legged strategy.
He was speaking as PIF formally announced a $20 billion alliance with the US investment fund BlackRock to put money into what he called “conventional investment” like infrastructure and large-scale construction projects, and on top of the $45 billion agreed with Japan’s SoftBank.
“We will continue to see partnerships with the rest of the world, and conventional investments will not go away,” he said at the opening session of a major conference hosted by the PIF in Riyadh, the Future Investment Initiative.
He added that PIF is targeting annual returns of between 3 and 9 percent across its portfolios in the long term.
“PIF is a long-term fund. We are looking beyond cyclicality,” he said.
Al-Rumayyan spelled out the rest of the strategy. “We want to grow and diversify revenue across all investments. We want to localize the economy of Saudi Arabia for the future employment of citizens, and we want to expand in new sectors, like waste management, real estate and entertainment.”
Panelists included the CEO of Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser, BlackRock Chairman Larry Fink, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and Victor Chou, CEO of First Eastern Investment Group.
They were quizzed on their outlook for investment returns as individuals and states worldwide grapple with how to ensure sufficient retirement funds during an extended period of low growth across global economies.
Al-Rumayyan said that some assets could reach annual returns in the low teens.
“We don’t want to be a sitting duck to be shot down by only being in conventional investments. We want to go beyond — that is what Vision 2030 is all about,” he said.
He also revealed that he wants the Future Investment Initiative to become an annual event, which would help the Kingdom prepare for the future.
Questioned on the long-term prospects for the oil economy in the face of the renewable and alternative fuels industry, Nasser said it would take decades for the oil and gas industry to be significantly affected by these changes.
BlackRock’s Fink warned: “Long-term growth rates are decelerating quite rapidly and this is going to present pension funds with bigger liability issues — but this is also one of the reasons we have to address this issue of retirement today with expected returns — whether it’s 4, 6 or 8 (percent).
“It means you have to put money away sooner to get to the expected pool of money you want in retirement.”
Asked about his own forecasts for what was possible and realistic as an investment return, he said: “The BlackRock Investor Institute came out with a 10-year forecast of 4 per cent with a balanced portfolio. I tend to think it will be closer to 6 percent. We’re in a world of low inflation.”
Hundreds of the biggest names in global business are attending the event in Riyadh, which concludes tomorrow.
Saudi Public Investment Fund looks for more global alliances
Saudi Public Investment Fund looks for more global alliances
Saudi Arabia approves over 1k chemical permits, awards 172 mining licenses
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia processed more than 1,000 chemical permit requests in November and awarded exploration rights for 172 mining sites in what the government described as its largest licensing round on record.
The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said it handled 1,095 chemical clearance requests during the month, including 1,041 approvals for non-restricted chemicals and 54 for restricted substances, covering 2,081 product classifications, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
It forms part of ongoing efforts to accelerate the discovery and development of mineral resources valued at over SR9.4 trillion ($2.51 trillion), aligning with Vision 2030’s objective to position mining as the third pillar of the national industrial sector.
Ministry spokesperson Jarrah Al-Jarrah explained that the chemical clearance service enables industrial investors to obtain import or export permits for chemicals used in manufacturing through the “Sanaei” digital platform.
“He clarified that the service aims to ensure that chemical clearances for industrial facilities are granted through streamlined procedures and in a timely manner, thus serving investors and facilitating the entry of their materials through ports of entry,” the SPA report stated.
Al-Jarrah explained that the service plays a critical role in enhancing industrial output by developing and automating permit procedures for production-related chemicals as part of the ministry’s digital services.
In a separate development, the ministry announced that 24 domestic and international companies and consortiums won exploration licenses across 172 mining sites in Saudi Arabia, with 76 of those sites awarded through a multi-round public auction.
These sites span three mineral belts in the Riyadh, Madinah, and Qassim regions, with committed exploration spending exceeding SR671 million during the first two years of project implementation.
The ministry described this licensing round as the largest mining tender in the Kingdom’s history.
The competition covered more than 24,000 sq. km across regions known for strategic minerals including gold, copper, silver, zinc, and nickel.
Additionally, the ministry noted that 26 qualified companies participated through the electronic bidding platform, progressing through a transparent process that began with prequalification and culminated in competitive multi-round auctions.
The ministry confirmed that these investments aim to develop untapped exploration zones and enhance the utilization of Saudi Arabia’s mineral wealth, strengthening global supply chains.
It also announced plans to launch further exploration license tenders covering 13,000 sq. km across Madinah, Makkah, Riyadh, Qassim, and Hail, with additional opportunities to be revealed at the 5th Future Minerals Forum in Riyadh from Jan. 13 to 15.
These efforts, the ministry stated, reflect a broader mining strategy focused on maximizing resource potential, attracting foreign investment, creating employment opportunities, and integrating value chains to establish Saudi Arabia as a global mining hub.
