ACWA Power to debut on Tadawul on October 11 following IPO

The institutional tranche of the IPO was oversubscribed 248 times. (Reuters)
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Updated 08 October 2021
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ACWA Power to debut on Tadawul on October 11 following IPO

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power shares will debut on the main market of the Saudi Stock Exchange on Monday, October 11, according to a bourse filing.

Half-owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund, the company is selling 81.2 million shares at SR56 each or an 11.1 percent stake. The institutional tranche, which makes up 90 percent of the IPO, was 248 times oversubscribed, attracting SR1.127 trillion.

The stock will have plus/minus 30 percent daily price fluctuation limits and plus/minus 10 percent static price fluctuation limits, according to a statement on the Saudi Stock Market (Tadawul).

These fluctuation limits will be applied during the first three days of listing, and from the fourth trading day onwards, the daily price fluctuation limits will revert to plus/minus 10 percent and the static price fluctuation limits will no longer apply.

Acwa Power will stick to its ambitious spending plans after it goes public and double its assets over the next four years, the head of the energy and water company has told Arab News in an interview in September.

Paddy Padmanathan, CEO of the business, was bullish about Acwa’s future prospects as he talked up how technological developments are revolutionizing the way the company operates.

The Riyadh-based firm already has 64 projects across the world, and Padmanathan insists there will be no slowing down when 81.2 million shares, representing 11.1 percent of the company, are listed on the Main Market of the Saudi Stock Exchange, Tadawul.

The company, which the Saudi sovereign wealth fund is a key shareholder in, uses project finance to fund all of its projects but it will continue investing around SR2.8bn a year of its own money into these projects to keep growing, Padamanthan said.

“We’ve got 64 assets in operation, construction and advanced development in 13 countries on three continents. This represents $248 billion worth in value, and we are producing 2.8 million cubic meters of desalinated water, and 20 gigawatts of energy. By 2025 this should be 41 gigawatts and 6.4 million cubic meters,” Padmanathan told Arab News, adding: “We developed a business model based on diversification, and demonstrated the efficiency we’ve demonstrated, and our ability to deliver new assets.”


Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows


Updated 18 December 2025
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Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd globally in digital government, World Bank 2025 index shows


WASHINGTON: Saudi Arabia has achieved a historic milestone by securing second place worldwide in the 2025 GovTech Maturity Index released by the World Bank.

The announcement was made on Thursday during a press conference in Washington, DC, which evaluated 197 countries.

The Kingdom excelled across all sub-indicators, earning a 99.64 percent overall score and placing it in the “Very Advanced” category.

It achieved a score of 99.92 percent in the Core Government Systems Index, 99.90 percent in the Public Service Delivery Index, 99.30 percent in the Digital Citizen Engagement Index, and 99.50 percent in the Government Digital Transformation Enablers Index, reflecting some of the highest global scores.

This includes outstanding performance in digital infrastructure, core government systems, digital service delivery, and citizen engagement, among the highest globally.

Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwaiyan, governor of the Digital Government Authority, attributed this achievement to the unwavering support of the Saudi leadership, strong intergovernmental collaboration, and effective public-private partnerships.

He highlighted national efforts over recent years to re-engineer government services and build an advanced digital infrastructure, which enabled Saudi Arabia to reach this global standing.

Al-Suwaiyan emphasized that the Digital Government Authority continues to drive innovation and enhance the quality of digital services, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, supporting the national economy and consolidating the Kingdom’s transformation goals.

The 2025 GTMI data reflects Saudi Arabia’s excellence across key areas, including near-perfect scores in core government systems, public service delivery, digital citizen engagement, and government digital transformation enablers. This balanced performance places the Kingdom firmly in the “Grade A” classification for very advanced countries, demonstrating the maturity of its digital government ecosystem.

Saudi Arabia’s progress in the index has been remarkable: from 49th place in the 2020 edition, to third in 2022, and now second in 2025, confirming its status as a global leader in digital transformation and innovation.

The achievement also reflects the Kingdom’s focus on putting people at the center of digital transformation, enhancing user experience, improving government efficiency, and integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across public services.