Saudi railways in deal with Bahri to provide international freight services 

SAR is the owner and operator of the railway networks in the Kingdom and plays a crucial role in supporting the goals of building an integrated transportation system.  
Short Url
Updated 28 December 2023
Follow

Saudi railways in deal with Bahri to provide international freight services 

RIYADH: International freight forwarding services across the Kingdom will be strengthened further as Saudi Arabia Railways has entered into an agreement with Bahri Logistics.  

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Bahri Logistics will serve as SAR’s primary freight forwarding service provider for both imports and exports, according to a press statement.  

The deal was signed by Soror Basalom, president of Bahri Logistics, and Salah bin Abdullah Al-Omair, vice president of shared services at SAR.  

SAR is the owner and operator of the railway networks in the Kingdom and plays a crucial role in supporting the goals of building an integrated transportation system.  

“We at Bahri Logistics are incredibly proud to partner with such a crucial national company. Leveraging expertise gained over several decades, we will deliver seamless freight forwarding services to SAR and its customers in line with the highest global standards,” said Basalom.  

Commenting on the deal, Al-Omair said that SAR is working on developing its solutions and enhancing the efficiency of railway transportation to provide exceptional services to clients in all railway networks across the Kingdom.  

He added: “Bahri Logistics has established itself as one of the Kingdom’s most trusted industry partners, and we look forward to enhancing SAR’s offerings in the coming years through this partnership. We hope that this alliance will strengthen our capabilities and contribute to the continued growth and success of both organizations.”  


Saudi Arabia offers 4.58% return in new retail sukuk round 

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

Saudi Arabia offers 4.58% return in new retail sukuk round 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s government-backed savings sukuk program, “Sah,” has opened subscriptions for its second savings round of 2026, offering an annual return of 4.58 percent. 

The subscription window is available through approved digital channels of accredited financial institutions, as the Kingdom continues its efforts to encourage household savings, according to an announcement published by the program’s official account on X, 

The product gives individual investors access to government-backed instruments with a one-year maturity and fixed return. 

The second tranche follows the first savings round of 2026, which offered an annual return of 4.73 percent. Subscriptions for that period were open in early January and closed after several days, underscoring continued demand for government-backed savings products among individual investors. 

For the second round of 2026, the minimum subscription amount is SR1,000 ($266.59) per sukuk, while the maximum allocation allows investors to subscribe to up to 200 sukuk, equivalent to SR200,000. 

Sah is structured with a one-year savings period and a fixed return, with accrued profits disbursed at the bond’s maturity. 

Returns for future rounds are expected to be influenced by market conditions on a month-to-month basis. 

Subscriptions run from Feb. 1 until Feb. 3, starting at 10:00 a.m. on the first day and closing at 3:00 p.m. on the final day. 

The sukuk are issued by the Ministry of Finance and organized by the National Debt Management Center as Saudi Arabia’s first savings product designed specifically for individuals. Eligible investors must be Saudi nationals aged 18 or older and hold accounts with participating institutions including SNB Capital, Aljazira Capital, Alinma Investment, SAB Invest and Al Rajhi Capital. 

The Sah program forms part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic savings and expand access to low-risk investment options, supporting financial stability and citizen participation in local markets.  

The offering comes as international credit assessors signal confidence in the Kingdom’s financial position. Fitch Ratings recently affirmed Saudi Arabia’s sovereign rating at A+ with a stable outlook, citing comparatively strong debt metrics and large sovereign financial assets. 

Fitch expects the economy to grow 4.8 percent in 2026 and projects the fiscal deficit will narrow to 3.6 percent of gross domestic product by 2027, helped by rising non-oil revenues and improved efficiency. 

The agency also pointed to reform momentum, including investment rule changes and continued opening of real estate and equity markets to foreign investors.