OSLO: Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, plans to more than double its investments in Saudi Arabia after it is included in the fund's reference index soon, Chief Executive Yngve Slyngstad said on Friday.
The fund currently has Saudi Arabian assets worth 6.9 billion crowns ($825 million), spread over 42 companies including banks, petrochemicals and healthcare firms.
The fund's reference index, the FTSE, will include Saudi Arabia in the coming year.
"We invest in companies, not countries. Our investments in companies based in Saudi Arabia will not be changed based on political developments," Slyngstad told Reuters.
"Generally speaking, we are not set up to assess political risk."
Earlier, the $970 billion fund said it would ask the 9,000 companies in which it invests to ensure their board members had sufficient expertise, time and independence.
The fund, which funnels Norway's revenues from oil and gas production, owns 1.4 percent of all globally listed shares. It has in recent years become a more active shareholder as it has grown in heft.
While some of the demands put forward on Friday are not new for the fund - such as opposing CEOs who sit as chairs of their companies - others are, such as requiring industry expertise from directors.
A majority of independent board members should have "fundamental industry insight" and at least two of the independent members should have worked in the company's industry, said the fund.
"It is really ... industry expertise which is an issue that has been under-communicated from investors," said Slyngstad. "The strong desire to have a profitable company by having a board who knows the business."
He declined to name specific sectors where he thought board industry expertise was lacking, but said: "There has been a focus on the financial sector, also from regulators, which we will reinforce from our point of view.
"But this is a broader issue than just the financial sector," he added. "We have seen quite differing practice in different sectors and different countries.
"This is a signal that ... we will try to look at these issues more quantitatively, to see where we can find the major issues with regards to countries and sectors."
The position papers will form the basis of the fund's position for how it votes on the boards of companies.
"It will be a starting point for how we will vote," Chief Corporate Governance Officer Carine Smith Ihenacho told reporters earlier.
Asked whether the fund would divest from reluctant companies, on these issues, she said: "It will be a basis for voting, dialogue and engagement."
Directors should also ensure they have enough time to fulfil their obligations to the boards on which they serve, said the fund.
In practice, that means board members of listed companies should not serve on more than five boards at one time and the chair of a leading company should generally not chair the board of another company, it said.
In the third quarter, the fund made a return of 2.1 percent, helped by rising North American stocks. It still returned 0.2 percentage points less than the a benchmark index set by the Norwegian Finance Ministry.
"The market development was affected by expectations of differing economic growth and uncertainty about the effects of increased trade barriers," Slyngstad said.
Norway fund plans to more than double investments in Saudi Arabia
Norway fund plans to more than double investments in Saudi Arabia
- Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, plans to more than double its investments in Saudi Arabia
- The fund currently has Saudi Arabian assets worth $825 million
First EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials reflects shared policy commitment
RIYADH: The EU–Saudi Arabia Business and Investment Dialogue on Advancing Critical Raw Materials Value Chains, held in Riyadh as part of the Future Minerals Forum, brought together senior policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to advance strategic cooperation across critical raw materials value chains.
Organized under a Team Europe approach by the EU–GCC Cooperation on Green Transition Project, in coordination with the EU Delegation to Saudi Arabia, the European Chamber of Commerce in the Kingdom and in close cooperation with FMF, the dialogue provided a high-level platform to explore European actions under the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU alongside the Kingdom’s aspirations for minerals, industrial, and investment priorities.
This is in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and broader regional ambitions across the GCC, MENA, and Africa.
ResourceEU is the EU’s new strategic action plan, launched in late 2025, to secure a reliable supply of critical raw materials like lithium, rare earths, and cobalt, reducing dependency on single suppliers, such as China, by boosting domestic extraction, processing, recycling, stockpiling, and strategic partnerships with resource-rich nations.
The first ever EU–Saudi roundtable on critical raw materials was opened by the bloc’s Ambassador to the Kingdom, Christophe Farnaud, together with Saudi Deputy Minister for Mining Development Turki Al-Babtain, turning policy alignment into concrete cooperation.
Farnaud underlined the central role of international cooperation in the implementation of the EU’s critical raw materials policy framework.
“As the European Union advances the implementation of its Critical Raw Materials policy, international cooperation is indispensable to building secure, diversified, and sustainable value chains. Saudi Arabia is a key partner in this effort. This dialogue reflects our shared commitment to translate policy alignment into concrete business and investment cooperation that supports the green and digital transitions,” said the ambassador.
Discussions focused on strengthening resilient, diversified, and responsible CRM supply chains that are essential to the green and digital transitions.
Participants explored concrete opportunities for EU–Saudi cooperation across the full value chain, including exploration, mining, and processing and refining, as well as recycling, downstream manufacturing, and the mobilization of private investment and sustainable finance, underpinned by high environmental, social, and governance standards.
From the Saudi side, the dialogue was framed as a key contribution to the Kingdom’s industrial transformation and long-term economic diversification agenda under Vision 2030, with a strong focus on responsible resource development and global market integration.
“Developing globally competitive mineral hubs and sustainable value chains is a central pillar of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s industrial transformation. Our engagement with the European Union through this dialogue to strengthen upstream and downstream integration, attract high-quality investment, and advance responsible mining and processing. Enhanced cooperation with the EU, capitalizing on the demand dynamics of the EU Critical Raw Materials Act, will be key to delivering long-term value for both sides,” said Al-Babtain.
Valere Moutarlier, deputy director-general for European industry decarbonization, and directorate-general for the internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs at European Commission, said the EU Critical Raw Materials Act and ResourceEU provided a clear framework to strengthen Europe’s resilience while deepening its cooperation with international partners.
“Cooperation with Saudi Arabia is essential to advancing secure, sustainable, and diversified critical raw materials value chains. Dialogues such as this play a key role in translating policy ambitions into concrete industrial and investment cooperation,” she added.
