Saudi IT firm MIS and Al-Rajhi receive CMA approval to launch $266m fund  

MIS will be the sole marketer, supplier, executor, and operator of the fund’s projects (File)
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Updated 13 July 2023
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Saudi IT firm MIS and Al-Rajhi receive CMA approval to launch $266m fund  

RIYADH: A SR1 billion ($266 million) investment fund aimed at financing digital, technical, and medical infrastructure equipment has received regulatory approval from the Capital Market Authority to operate in Saudi Arabia.   

In a bourse filing, Kingdom’s Al-Moammar Information Systems announced it had been given notice from Al-Rajhi Capital that it had obtained approval to establish the new fund, which is compliant with Islamic law.  

This comes after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between MIS and Al-Rajhi in August 2021 to establish the investment pot. 

In its first stage, it will aim to generate income for investors by financing and leasing projects primarily in digital, technical, and medical infrastructure equipment.  

MIS will be the sole marketer, supplier, executor, and operator of the fund’s projects, the bourse filing noted. 

The fund will provide various financing methods such as long-term leasing, build-operate-transfer, pay-for-use, and partnership programs in the governmental, semi-governmental, and private sectors in the Kingdom.  

MIS has been working closely with Saudi firms to facilitate growth in the Kingdom’s information technology sector.  

In May, the company secured a new project with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing to renew and secure Microsoft licenses and programs, valued at SR83 million. 

This came after the Public Investment Fund awarded a SR96.36 million contract in April to carry out the supply and integration of audio, visual, and smart solutions.  

Meanwhile, MIS obtained two loans valued at SR758.83 million from Al-Rajhi Bank and the Saudi British Bank, also known as SABB, in March.  

The IT firm renewed a SR500 million financing deal with Al-Rajhi Bank, valid until November 2023 and secured by a promissory note worth the total value.  

MIS also extended a facility agreement worth SR258.83 million with SABB, valid until December 2023.  

In October 2022, MIS signed a SR54 million contract with construction firm Absal Paul Co. for the implementation of the infrastructure technology development, supply, and installations of networks and data centers. 

This came after it was awarded a SR58 million contract by NEOM for research collaboration and technology patenting projects. 


Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

Updated 27 December 2025
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Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs

  • Spot silver touched an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits
  • Spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, while palladium surged 14 percent to $1,927.81, its highest level in over 3 years

Silver breached the $77 mark for the first time on Friday, while gold and platinum hit record highs, buoyed by expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts and geopolitical tensions that fueled safe-haven demand.

Spot silver jumped 7.5% to $77.30 per ounce, as of 1:53 p.m. ET (1853 GMT), after touching an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits, its designation ‌as a US ‌critical mineral, and strong investment inflows.

Spot gold ‌was ⁠up ​1.2% at $4,531.41 ‌per ounce, after hitting a record $4,549.71 earlier. US gold futures for February delivery settled 1.1% higher at $4,552.70.

“Expectations for further Fed easing in 2026, a weak dollar and heightened geopolitical tensions are driving volatility in thin markets. While there is some risk of profit-taking before the year-end, the trend remains strong,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist ⁠at Zaner Metals.

Markets are anticipating two rate cuts in 2026, with the first likely ‌around mid-year amid speculation that US President Donald ‍Trump could name a dovish ‍Fed chair, reinforcing expectations for a more accommodative monetary stance.

The US ‍dollar index was on track for a weekly decline, enhancing the appeal of dollar-priced gold for overseas buyers.

On the geopolitical front, the US carried out airstrikes against Daesh militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump said on Thursday.

“$80 in ​silver is within reach by year-end. For gold, the next objective is $4,686.61, with $5,000 likely in the first half of next ⁠year,” Grant added.

Gold remains poised for its strongest annual gain since 1979, underpinned by Fed policy easing, central bank purchases, ETF inflows, and ongoing de-dollarization trends.

On the physical demand side, gold discounts in India widened to their highest in more than six months this week as a relentless price rally curbed retail buying, while discounts in China narrowed sharply from last week’s five-year highs.

Elsewhere, spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, having earlier hit a record high of $2,454.12 while palladium surged 14% to $1,927.81, its highest level in more than three years.

All precious ‌metals logged weekly gains, with platinum recording its strongest weekly rise on record.