OSLO: Oil and gas companies operating in Norway have lowered their investment forecasts for 2019 to 172.7 billion crowns ($20.06 billion) from 175.3 billion crowns seen in November, a survey by the country’s statistics agency (SSB) showed on Thursday.
In 2020, investments are expected to fall to 158.5 billion crowns according to initial forecasts, but the forecasts could be revised upwards in the months to come, it added.
“Several plans for development and operation (PDOs) are expected to be submitted to the government in both 2019 and 2020,” the agency said in a statement.
“If the schedules for these plans are realized, the accumulated investment costs in 2020 from these projects will increase the investment in field development compared to the present estimate.”
Norway’s oil and gas investments have rebounded from a sharp fall as rising crude prices and cost cuts lift industry activity. It was SSB’s fourth release of companies’ forecasts for 2019 and the first for 2020.
Equinor is Norway’s largest oil firm.
Norway oil firms lower 2019 investment forecast
Norway oil firms lower 2019 investment forecast
- Investment forecasts for 2019 lowered to $20.06 billion
- Several plans for development and operation (PDOs) expected to be submitted
Saudi stock market opens its doors to foreign investors
RIYADH: Foreigners will be able to invest directly in Saudi Arabia’s stock market from Feb. 1, the Kingdom’s Capital Market Authority has announced.
The CMA’s board has approved a regulatory change which will mean the capital market, across all its segments, will be accessible to investors from around the world for direct participation.
According to a statement, the approved amendments aim to expand and diversify the base of those permitted to invest in the Main Market, thereby supporting investment inflows and enhancing market liquidity.
International investors' ownership in the capital market exceeded SR590 billion ($157.32 billion) by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while international investments in the main market reached approximately SR519 billion during the same period — an annual rise of 4 percent.
“The approved amendments eliminated the concept of the Qualified Foreign Investor in the Main Market, thereby allowing all categories of foreign investors to access the market without the need to meet qualification requirements,” said the CMA, adding: “It also eliminated the regulatory framework governing swap agreements, which were used as an option to enable non-resident foreign investors to obtain economic benefits only from listed securities, and the allowance of direct investment in shares listed on the Main Market.”
In July, the CMA approved measures to simplify the procedures for opening and operating investment accounts for certain categories of investors. These included natural foreign investors residing in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as those who had previously resided in the Kingdom or in any GCC country.
This step represented an interim phase leading up to the decision announced today, with the aim of increasing confidence among participants in the Main Market and supporting the local economy.
Saudi Arabia, which is more than halfway through an economic plan to reduce its dependence on oil, has been trying to attract foreign investors, including by establishing exchange-traded funds with Asian partners in Japan and Hong Kong.
