RIYADH: Saudi and Chinese top officials are holding joint meetings in Beijing focused on fostering international economic growth.

The sessions, which are slated to take place from May 20 - 21 in Beijing, include the Kingdom’s Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan, the newly appointed Vice Minister of Finance Abdulmuhsen Al-Khalaf, along with officials from the Ministry of Finance, the National Center for Privatization, and the Saudi Central Bank.

Officials from the Capital Market Authority, Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority as well as the National Development Fund, are also part of the delegation, as well as representatives from the Saudi Fund for Development, and the National Infrastructure Fund.

In a post on his X account, Al-Jadaan said: “Today (May 20), as part of my visit to China, I met with the Chinese Minister of Finance, Lan Fo’an. We discussed ways to enhance the finance, trade and investment cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China to advance prosperity and growth for the global economy.”

The Saudi finance minister and his Beijing counterpart co-chaired the third meeting of the Financial Sub-Committee for the High-level Chinese-Saudi Joint Committee, where Al-Jadaan emphasized that China is a key partner in the Kingdom’s transformation under Vision 2030, according to a statement by the Saudi Finance Ministry.

The release added that the minister would participate in a roundtable discussion organized by the NCP in cooperation with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

Al-Jadaan will also speak with various Chinese ministers, officials, and investors, focusing on recent economic and financial developments, shared interests, and investment prospects in Saudi Arabia, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.

Meanwhile, Al-Khalaf and the Chinese Vice Minister of Finance, Liao Min, will co-chair a roundtable meeting hosted by the Chinese Ministry of Finance and organized by the China Development Bank and the China Investment Corp.

Al-Jadaan’s visit to the Asian powerhouse comes after he used a panel discussion at the Qatar Economic Forum on May 14 to urge financial planners to optimize their strategies to curb “economic leakage” and prevent resources or funds from being wasted.

Calling for the adoption of prudent fiscal policies, the minister said at the event that spending during a time of global inflation results in increased project costs, which he believes further fuels inflation and “overheats” the economy.

Diplomatic and economic ties between Saudi Arabia and China have been strengthening in recent years, and in November the Kingdom’s central bank, also known as SAMA, and the People’s Bank of China signed a local currency swap agreement worth $6.93 billion.

The agreement will last three years, but China’s central bank said at the time it can be extended after two years by mutual agreement.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Sunday losing 0.06 points to close at 12,198.38.  

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.42 billion ($1.18 billion) as 60 stocks advanced, while 160 retreated.  

On the other hand, Nomu, the parallel market, rose 577.98 points, or 2.18 percent, to close at 27,062.01. This comes as 28 stocks advanced while as many as 33 retreated.

Meanwhile, the MSCI Tadawul Index slipped 1.45 points, or 0.09 percent, to close at 1,528.60.

The best-performing stock of the day was Lazurde Co. for Jewelry. The company’s share price surged 10.00 percent to SR16.06. 

Other top performers included Middle East Specialized Cables Co. as well as Aldrees Petroleum and Transport Services Co.

The worst performer was Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co., whose share price dropped by 10 percent to SR45.45.

Makkah Construction and Development Co. as well as Jazan Development and Investment Co also performed poorly.

On the announcements front, Kingdom Holding Co. announced its interim financial results for the period ending March 31. 

According to a Tadawul statement, the company’s net profit hit SR196 million in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a 14.6 percent surge when compared to the similar quarter last year. 

The increase is mainly due to a rise in the sale of investment property, a surge in the share of results from equity-accounted investees, and a decrease in financial charges. 

It is also linked to an increase in finance income as well as a drop in withholding and income tax.

Moreover, Dar Alarkan Real Estate Development Co. announced its interim financial results for the first three months of 2024. 

A bourse filing revealed that the firm’s net profit reached SR153.5 million by the period ending March 31, up 30.57 percent from the corresponding period in 2023. This surge is primarily attributed to higher property sales. 

Furthermore, Middle East Paper Co. announced its interim financial results for the year’s first quarter. 

According to a Tadawul statement, the company recorded a net loss of SR18 million in the first three months of 2024, compared to a net loss of SR7 million in the same period of the previous year.

This is mainly owed to reduced gross profit, a jump in general and administrative dues, and increased finance and zakat expenses. 

Red Sea International Co. also announced its interim financial results for the period ending on March 31. 

A bourse filing revealed that the firm’s net profit stood at SR13.3 million at the end of the first quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss of SR19.5 million recorded in the same quarter a year ago. 

This is mainly the result of the strategic business transformation, which included acquiring 51 percent of First Fix and effectively executing and delivering projects.

Meanwhile, Saudi Manpower Solutions Co., announced the completion of the institutional book-building process and the determination of the final offer price for its initial public offering on the main market of the Saudi Exchange.

According to a company statement, the final offer price has been set at SR7.5 per share, with a market capitalization of SR3 billion at listing. The price range for the offering was set at SR7 to SR7.5.   

The institutional book-building process generated an order book of around SR115 billion and was 128 times oversubscribed, indicating strong investor demand.