Saudi Eastern Province closes $40m deal to improve its public transport network

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Updated 23 January 2022
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Saudi Eastern Province closes $40m deal to improve its public transport network

RIYADH: Riyadh-based Saudi Public Transport Co., also known as SAPTCO, has sealed a SR150 million ($40 million) deal for a public bus transport project in the Eastern Province’s Dammam and Al Qatif governorate.

The contract, signed with the Eastern Province Municipality, will be valid for five years, the homegrown transport firm said in a bourse statement.

The Transport General Authority partnered with the Eastern Municipality to supply the project with eight lanes over a distance of 453 kilometers, 212 stops, and 85 buses, SPA reported, citing the authority’s president Rumaih Al Rumaih.

From reducing the effects of environmental pollution to rationalizing energy consumption, the project comes in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

Upon its completion, the region is expected to see less traffic congestion and more organized transportation systems, SPA reported.

SAPTCO noted that the deal’s financial impact is expected to reflect on the company’s financial statements during the first half of the ongoing year.


Closing Bell: Saudi main market edges up to close at 11,216.9

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Closing Bell: Saudi main market edges up to close at 11,216.9

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Sunday, closing at 11,216.93, up 28.20 points, or 0.25 percent.

The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index also advanced, finishing at 1,512.99, a gain of 0.29 percent, while the parallel market index, Nomu, inched up 0.09 percent to 23,887.01.

Trading activity was robust, with a total of 150.4 million shares changing hands and an aggregate value of SR3.3 billion ($880.2 million).

Among the top gainers, Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co. surged 7.05 percent to SR2.58. The Mediterranean and Gulf Cooperative Insurance & Reinsurance Co. rose 5.26 percent to SR15.82, and Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology increased 4.68 percent to SR14.09.

Saudi Real Estate Co. added 4.47 percent to SR14.48, while Arabian Shield Cooperative Insurance Co. gained 4.3 percent to SR12.12.

On the other hand, Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. fell 3.55 percent to SR44, and The Company for Cooperative Insurance dropped 2.92 percent to SR133.

Canadian Medical Center Co. eased 2.69 percent to SR6.15, Ataa Educational Co. declined 2.61 percent to SR52.15, and ADES Holding Co. finished 2.5 percent lower at SR18.31.

Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco Base Oil Co. announced that its board of directors has recommended distributing cash dividends for the second half of 2025.

The proposed payout is SR3.5 per share, bringing total dividends for the year to SR4.5 per share, representing around 70 percent of free cash flow in line with the company’s performance-linked dividend policy.

The total amount to be distributed for the second half stands at SR589.9 million, covering 168.2 million eligible shares.

Eligibility will be determined at the close of trading on the day of the company’s general assembly, with the distribution date to be announced later. Luberef shares last traded at SR105.5, up 3.53 percent.

Separately, the Capital Market Authority revealed that it has licensed Lesha Capital to conduct investment management and fund operations in the securities business, following the company’s completion of all required business registrations.