Saudi Fund for Development chief participates in OPEC forum, meets several officials

The CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, Sultan Al-Marshad, participated in the 3rd OPEC Fund Development Forum in Vienna. (X/@SaudiFund_Dev)
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Updated 26 June 2024
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Saudi Fund for Development chief participates in OPEC forum, meets several officials

  • Parties discuss projects and programs funded by the SFD

RIYADH: Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, the CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, participated on Tuesday in Vienna’s OPEC Fund Development Forum.

Al-Marshad was there to discuss with energy partners ways of supporting countries to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, and current global challenges.

 

 

Al-Marshad met the President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio on the sidelines of the forum. The parties looked at the SFD’s activities in financing development projects and programs in Sierra Leone, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation, the SFD said in a statement on X.

He also held talks with Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe; Maldives’ Minister of State for Finance Hussain Sham Adam; and Somalia’s Minister of Finance Bihi Egeh.

 

 

The parties discussed development projects and programs funded by the SFD and currently being implemented, as well as examining ways to enhance cooperation to finance development sectors, while reviewing relations between the fund and the respective countries.

The one-day forum brought together government leaders, heads of institutions and practitioners from the international development community to explore current challenges and opportunities “for delivering transformative and sustainable development” under the theme “Driving Resilience and Equity.”

 

 

The SFD has contributed within the framework of its development activity in financing projects and programs over 50 years in various vital sectors in Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, supporting social growth and economic prosperity in the beneficiary communities as they work toward achieving sustainable development, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

 

 


Work suspended on Riyadh’s massive Mukaab megaproject: Reuters

Updated 27 January 2026
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Work suspended on Riyadh’s massive Mukaab megaproject: Reuters

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has suspended planned construction of a colossal cube-shaped skyscraper at the center of a downtown development in Riyadh while it reassesses the project's financing and feasibility, four people familiar with the matter said.

The Mukaab was planned as a 400-meter by 400-meter metal cube containing a dome with an AI-powered display, the largest on the planet, that visitors could observe from a more than 300-meter-tall ziggurat — or terraced structure —inside it.

Its future is now unclear, with work beyond soil excavation and pilings suspended, three of the people said. Development of the surrounding real estate is set to continue, five people familiar with the plans said.

The sources include people familiar with the project's development and people privy to internal deliberations at the PIF.

Officials from PIF, the Saudi government and the New Murabba project did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Real estate consultancy Knight Frank estimated the New Murabba district would cost about $50 billion — roughly equivalent to Jordan’s GDP — with projects commissioned so far valued at around $100 million.

Initial plans for the New Murabba district called for completion by 2030. It is now slated to be completed by 2040.

The development was intended to house 104,000 residential units and add SR180 billion to the Kingdom’s GDP, creating 334,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030, the government had estimated previously.

(With Reuters)