Saudi Arabia, Pakistan ‘to sign deals worth up to $20 billion’

Pakistan army trucks park outside a presidential palace as security is beefed up in Islamabad ahead of the visit of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (AP Photo/B.K. Bangash)
Updated 17 February 2019
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Saudi Arabia, Pakistan ‘to sign deals worth up to $20 billion’

  • More than 30 public and private companies are poised to invest in Pakistan, including Saudi Aramco, SABIC and ACWA Power
  • The sectors targeted for Saudi investment include oil refining, petrochemical, mining, construction, power generation, agriculture and glass

KARACHI: Saudi Arabia is expected to announce investments in Pakistan worth between $15 billion and $20 billion during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit, according to the head of Pakistan’s Board of Investment.

The Kingdom and the UAE in recent months have offered Pakistan more than $30 billion in loans and investments to tackle a soaring current-account deficit. The Saudi crown prince is due to sign off on his country’s deals, including one for a $10 billion oil refinery in Pakistan’s Gwadar Port.

“We are expecting Saudi investment in the range of $15 billion to $20 billion based on the interest investors have expressed so far,” said Haroon Sharif, minister of state and chairman of the Board of Investment.

Sharif previously said that Pakistan expected investments worth about $15 billion from Saudi Arabia over the next three years, and about $40 billion from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and China combined in the next three to five years.

Mian Mehmood, the Pakistani head of the Pakistan-Saudi Arabia Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said recently that in addition to the oil refinery project, a further $10 billion is expected to be invested in sectors other than oil and gas, bringing the total to $20 billion.

“About 25 to 30 agreements are expected to be finalized during the visit of the crown prince,” said Mehmood who recently led a business delegation to the Kingdom to explore bilateral investment and cooperation opportunities.

More than 30 public and private companies are poised to invest in Pakistan, including Saudi Aramco, SABIC and ACWA Power, he added.

The sectors targeted for Saudi investment include oil refining, petrochemical, mining, construction, power generation, agriculture and glass.

“Ten Saudi manufacturing companies working in construction and allied materials, and 10 companies interested in the food processing sector will come to sign agreements,” Mehmood said.

Speaking this month during a visit to Gwadar to inspect the site of the $10 billion oil refinery, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said: “Saudi Arabia wants to make Pakistan’s economic development stable through establishing an oil refinery and partnership with Pakistan in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.”

Work on the refinery is expected to begin within 18 months.

“Once the project starts production, the country would be able to save about $2 billion in foreign exchange on costly imports,” said Samiullah Tariq, the head of research at investment firm Arif Habib Limited.


Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

Updated 05 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main market ends week in red at 11,189

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower at the end of the trading week on Thursday, falling 1.34 percent, or 152.54 points, to finish at 11,188.73. 

The benchmark index opened at 11,320.52 and trended lower throughout the session, finishing well below its previous close of 11,341.27.  

Market breadth was sharply negative, with only 28 gainers compared with 236 decliners. Trading activity saw a volume of 239 million shares exchanged, with total turnover reaching SR5.5 billion ($1.47 billion). 

In the parallel market, Nomu closed higher, rising 0.23 percent to 23,865.95, although decliners continued to outnumber advancers. The MT30 index closed at 1,508.60, down 1.46 percent, shedding 22.38 points by the end of the session. 

Among the session’s top gainers, Dar Al Majed Real Estate Co. led advances, rising 5.43 percent to close at SR9.91. 

Al Aziziah REIT Fund added 4.67 percent to SR4.48, while Al Majed Oud Co. gained 2.81 percent to SR161.20. AFG International Co. advanced 2.45 percent to SR17.17, and Al Mawarid Manpower Co. rose 1.37 percent to SR125.70.

On the losing side, Saudi Research and Media Group posted the steepest decline, falling 6.88 percent to SR107. Cherry Trading Co. dropped 6.23 percent to SR28.88, while Saudi Arabian Mining Co. slipped 5.41 percent to SR72.55.  

Almasane Alkobra Mining Co. declined 5.38 percent to SR102, and Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu ended 4.56 percent lower at SR31.36. 

On the announcements front, Saudi Industrial Investment Group released its interim financial results for the twelve-month period ended Dec. 31, 2025, reporting a return to profitability on an annual basis despite posting a quarterly loss.  

The company recorded a net loss of SR104 million in the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of SR201 million in the same quarter of the previous year, which it attributed mainly to lower selling prices, higher operating costs, and increased general and administrative expenses.  

For the full year, however, the group posted a net profit attributable to shareholders of SR197 million, compared with SR161 million a year earlier, supported by higher sales volumes and improved operational performance at several subsidiaries. The stock last traded at SR14.77, down 3.59 percent. 

Separately, Saudi Exchange Co. announced the approval of a request by Merrill Lynch Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to terminate its market-making activities for Saudi Arabian Oil Co., effective Feb. 8.

The exchange said the termination relates specifically to the market-making agreement for Saudi Aramco shares and was approved in line with applicable market-making regulations.