PIF-owned Saudi Downtown Company signs MoU with MCIT to build digital infrastructure

The Saudi Downtown Company aims to build and develop downtown areas and mixed-use destinations in 12 Saudi cities.
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Updated 06 February 2023
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PIF-owned Saudi Downtown Company signs MoU with MCIT to build digital infrastructure

RIYADH: The PIF-owned Saudi Downtown Company on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology to develop digital infrastructure and communication technologies.

The MoU was signed at the second edition of LEAP, a major international technology conference held annually in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Downtown Company aims to build and develop downtown areas and mixed-use destinations in 12 Saudi cities.

The 12 cities include Madinah, Alkhobar, Al-Ahsa, Buraidah, Najran, Jazan, Hail, Al-Baha, Arar, Taif, Dumat Al-Jandal, and Tabuk. The company will develop over 10 million sq. m of land across all projects, creating modern destinations drawn from Saudi Arabia’s diverse local culture and traditional architectural motifs, while using cutting-edge technology in every project.

The agreement was signed between Nayef bin Saleh Al-Hamdan, a member of the board of directors and acting CEO of Saudi Downtown Company, and Bassam bin Abdullah Al-Bassam, undersecretary of the Ministry of Communications and IT for communications and infrastructure.

Al-Hamdan said the deal aims to encourage investment in the digital infrastructure of the company’s projects.

With more than 700 speakers from 50 counties and 900 local and international companies in attendance at the Riyadh Front Center for Exhibitions and Conventions, this year’s edition of LEAP represents a huge economic advance in the Kingdom through many partnerships, deals, and investment tours.

 


Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

Updated 30 December 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi stocks slip as Tadawul falls 1% amid broad market weakness

RIYADH: Saudi stocks fell sharply on Tuesday, with the Tadawul All Share Index closing down 108.14 points, or 1.03 percent, at 10,381.51.

The broader decline was reflected across major indices. The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index slipped 0.78 percent to 1,378.00, while Nomu, the parallel market index, fell 1 percent to 23,040.79.

Market breadth was strongly negative on the main board, with 237 stocks falling compared to just 24 gainers. Trading activity remained robust, with 164.7 million shares changing hands and a total traded value of SR3.19 billion ($850.6 million).

Among the gainers, SEDCO Capital REIT Fund led, rising 2.73 percent to SR6.77, followed by Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., which gained 2.69 percent to SR20.20.

National Medical Care Co. added 1.72 percent to close at SR141.60, while Alyamamah Steel Industries Co. and Thimar Advertising, Public Relations and Marketing Co. advanced 1.57 percent and 1.13 percent, respectively.

Losses were led by Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co., which tumbled 8.36 percent to SR24.65. Raoom Trading Co.fell 6.75 percent to SR64.20, while Alkhaleej Training and Education Co. dropped 6.60 percent to SR18.12 and Naqi Water Co. declined 5.51 percent to SR54.00. Gulf General Cooperative Insurance Co. closed 5.44 percent lower at SR3.65.

On the announcement front, Chubb Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. signed a multiyear insurance agreement with Saudi Electricity Co. to provide various coverages, expected to positively impact its financial results over the 2025–2026 period. The deal will run for three years and two months and is within the company’s normal course of business.

Meanwhile, Bupa Arabia for Cooperative Insurance Co. announced a one-year health insurance contract with Saudi National Bank, valued at SR330.2 million, covering the bank’s employees and their families from January 2026. Despite the sizable contract, Bupa Arabia shares fell 0.8 percent to close at SR137, weighed down by the broader market weakness.

In contrast, United Cooperative Assurance Co. revealed an extension of its engineering insurance agreement with Saudi Binladin Group for the Grand Mosque expansion in Makkah. The contract value exceeds 20 percent of the company’s gross written premiums based on its latest audited financials and is expected to support results through 2026. However, the stock came under selling pressure, ending the session down 4.51 percent at SR3.39.