RIYADH: Financial robo-advisory firm Abyan Capital has secured $18 million in funding in further evidence of the growing confidence in the Kingdom’s artificial intelligence sector.

Led by STV, the funding round also saw participation from Aramco’s Wa’ed Ventures and RZM Investment. 

Robo-advisors are digital platforms that utilize AI and machine learning algorithms to automate and optimize investment processes.  

Founded in 2022 by Abdullah Al-Jeraiwi, Omar Al-Mania and Saleh Al-Aqeel, Abyan Capital is a financial services company that provides an automated solution and portfolio management for long-term investments.  

“Abyan Capital stands out by unlocking the SR300 billion ($80 billion) investment management and wealth advisory sector for investors from all backgrounds in Saudi Arabia, through its mobile-first, robo-advisory model,” Yazeed Al-Turki, principal at STV, said in a statement.  

In a short period of time, he said Abyan has enabled a large base of first-time investors to access multiple wealth management solutions, underscoring the team’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity.  

“We are delighted to partner with Abdullah, Saleh and the team on their journey to redefine the wealth management ecosystem in the Kingdom,” Al-Turki added.  

The company aims to utilize its newly secured funds to further enhance its platform, expand its suite of financial products, and accelerate its market penetration across the investment solution value chain.

“Today, we are proud that in a very short amount of time, Abyan has exceeded deposits of over SR1.4 billion and more than 100,000 portfolios invested. And we will be launching new diversified products soon with a goal to make Abyan the digital retail investment house,” said Al-Jeraiwi, the CEO. 

RIYADH: Gulf Cooperation Council central banks have held interest rates steady for the sixth time as the US Federal Reserve keeps its benchmark level between 5.25 percent and 5.50 percent.    

As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington, with policymakers opting to lock the rate at the level it has been since July.  

The freeze comes as the rate-setting panel cites “a lack of further progress toward the committee’s 2 percent inflation objective.”   

Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial, told Arab News: “This decision marks the sixth consecutive time that the central bank has chosen to keep rates unchanged. Market expectations have adjusted, now forecasting only one rate cut by year-end compared to the six anticipated at the beginning of 2024.”  

He added: “The monetary policies of most central banks in the GCC countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar, typically mirror those of the Fed due to their currencies being pegged to the US dollar. Kuwait is the exception in the bloc, as its dinar is linked to a basket of currencies.”  

Valecha continued by stating that as a result, interest rates in GCC markets are also anticipated to remain stable in the near future, which bodes well for the profitability of GCC banks. 

This decision implies that the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, will maintain its repo rates at the current level of 6 percent.    

The UAE central bank, along with Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Bahrain, also mirrored the Fed’s move. 

Repo rates, which represent a form of short-term borrowing primarily involving government securities, underscore the close economic ties and financial dynamics between the GCC countries and the global economic landscape, particularly the US.          

The US central bank also stated that it “does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range until it has gained greater confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward 2 percent.”  

This indicates that rate cuts are not on the cards anytime soon, until inflation cools down and moves sustainably toward the 2 percent target set by the US Fed.