Saudi Arabia sees 23.4% rise in FDI: GASTAT 

The volume of inflows in the second quarter of 2024 grew by 14.5 percent compared to the previous three months. Shutterstock. 
Short Url
Updated 30 September 2024
Follow

Saudi Arabia sees 23.4% rise in FDI: GASTAT 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia experienced a 23.4 percent increase in foreign direct investment in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous three months, according to official data. 

The latest figures from the General Authority for Statistics revealed that net FDI flow reached SR11.7 billion ($3.12 billion) in the second quarter of 2024, up from SR9.5 billion in the first three months of the year. 

Attracting foreign investment is a key objective of Vision 2030, and Saudi Arabia aims to attract $100 billion in FDI by the end of the decade. 

This growth underscores the Kingdom’s continued appeal to international investors and reflects ongoing efforts to enhance its investment environment and foster economic development. 

GASTAT noted that the net inflow of FDI in the second quarter declined by 7.5 percent compared to the same period in 2023, when inflows amounted to SR12.6 billion.

However, the volume of inflows grew by 14.5 percent to SR19.4 billion compared to the previous quarter. 

The report indicated that outflows amounted to SR7.8 billion, marking a year-on-year increase of 14.1 percent and a quarter-on-quarter rise of 3.4 percent. 

In August, a Standard Chartered report highlighted that Saudi Arabia’s updated investment law and recent reforms could help the country achieve its goal of attracting $24 billion in FDI this year. 

The Kingdom approved an updated investment law last month to enhance FDI flows, with the Ministry of Investment stating that the law would boost transparency and simplify the investment process.

The law also promises enhanced protections for investors, including adherence to the rule of law, fair treatment, and property rights, alongside robust safeguards for intellectual property and seamless fund transfers. 

Standard Chartered emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s future economic growth will be driven by increased FDI inflows, along with investments in public capital expenditure and the private sector. 

In August, Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Investment, Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, expressed the Kingdom’s eagerness to attract more FDI from Asia and Europe as its economic diversification efforts progress steadily. 

In July, a report released by the Saudi government revealed that the Kingdom’s FDI stock reached SR817.7 billion in the first quarter of 2024, representing a rise of 6.1 percent rise compared to the same period last year. 


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.