World’s largest SWF posts 9.4% returns in H1 driven by energy equity

Norwegian hedge fund manager and philanthropist Nicolai Tangen is seen in Oslo. (AFP/File Photo)
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Updated 18 August 2021
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World’s largest SWF posts 9.4% returns in H1 driven by energy equity

  • This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Norwegian government's first cash injection to the central bank

OSLO: The world's largest sovereign wealth fund, Norway's hefty $1.4 trillion SWF, posted a 9.4 percent return on investment for the first half of the year on Wednesday. The healthy return was driven by a sharp rise in global equities particularly energy, finance and tech stocks.

The fund earned 990 billion Norwegian crowns ($111 billion) in the January-June period, 0.28 percentage points higher than the fund's benchmark index.

“The equity investments had the most positive contribution to the return in the first half of the year, and especially the investments within the sectors of energy and finance,” Chief Executive Nicolai Tangen said in a statement.

“The investments in energy companies returned 19.5 percent,” he added.

The fund invests heavily in U.S. tech giants with the largest individual company investments in Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon and Facebook, making up the top five.

The return on the equity investments was 13.7 percent, while fixed income saw a negative 2.0 percent return.

Some 72.4 percent of the fund's investments were in stocks at the end of June, 25.1 percent in bonds, 2.4 percent in unlisted real estate and 0.1 percent in a recently created portfolio of unlisted renewables.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Norwegian government's first cash injection to the central bank to help establish what has since become the world's largest such fund.

Set up to pool the state's revenues from Norway's oil and gas production and prevent the economy from overheating, the fund was then turned into a sovereign wealth fund in 1998.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 10,956

Updated 27 July 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to close at 10,956

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Sunday, gaining 10.42 points, or 0.10 percent, to close at 10,956.22.

Total trading turnover of the benchmark index reached SR3.46 billion ($924 million), with 145 stocks advancing and 97 declining.

Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu climbed 92.76 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 26,991.01, as 47 stocks advanced while 39 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index also posted gains, adding 1.89 points, or 0.13 percent, to finish at 1,409.96.

The top performer of the day was Tourism Enterprise Co., with its share price surging 9.91 percent to close at SR1.22.

Other notable gainers included BAAN Holding Group Co., which rose 9.63 percent to SR2.39, and Raydan Food Co., which advanced 6.67 percent to SR14.24.

On the downside, Buruj Cooperative Insurance Co. recorded the biggest loss, falling 4.11 percent to SR18.20. 

Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co. dropped 3.03 percent to SR29.46, while Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Co. declined 2.84 percent to SR266.40.

In corporate disclosures, the National Agricultural Development Co. reported its consolidated financial results for the six-month period ending June 30. According to a Tadawul statement, the company posted a net profit of SR218.6 million, up 2.5 percent year on year. 

The increase was attributed to higher revenue and treasury income, along with changes in cost of sales, selling and marketing expenses, impairment losses, financing costs, and other income and expenses.

NADEC shares ended the session at SR21.02, down 0.81 percent.

Meanwhile, Yanbu National Petrochemical Co. announced a net profit of SR58.2 million for the first half of the year, marking an 82 percent year-on-year decline.

The drop was primarily due to lower average selling prices across all products and higher input costs, despite increased sales volumes and stable operational performance.

Yanbu shares rose 2.88 percent, closing at SR29.42.

Sabic Agri-Nutrients Co. also released its interim financial results, reporting a net profit of SR2.04 billion for the first half of the year, reflecting a 32.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. 

The growth was driven by a 22 percent rise in sales, along with an increase in share of results from associates and joint ventures.

However, the rise was partially offset by higher costs of goods sold, mainly due to increased feedstock prices.

SABIC Agri-Nutrients Co. shares closed at SR117, up 2.15 percent.


GCC economy grows 1.5% to $588bn in Q4 2024 on non-oil expansion

Updated 27 July 2025
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GCC economy grows 1.5% to $588bn in Q4 2024 on non-oil expansion

  • Qatar recorded the highest real GDP growth at 4.5%
  • UAE followed at 3.6% and Saudi Arabia at 2.8%

RIYADH: The Gulf Cooperation Council’s economy grew 1.5 percent year on year in the fourth quarter of 2024, reaching $587.8 billion, driven by a surge in non-oil activity, official data showed. 

According to the GCC Statistical Center, the increase from $579 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023 highlights the region’s ongoing shift toward diversification, with non-oil sectors contributing 77.9 percent of total output, while oil accounted for 22.1 percent. 

Among non-oil sectors, manufacturing contributed 12.5 percent, wholesale and retail trade 9.9 percent, construction 8.3 percent, and public administration and defense 7.5 percent. Finance and insurance made up 7 percent, real estate 5.7 percent, and other activities a combined 27 percent. 

The region’s economic shift is driven by national reform plans, including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, the UAE’s Economic Vision 2030, Oman’s Vision 2040, and Qatar’s National Vision 2030, aimed at reducing reliance on oil by expanding sectors like tourism, logistics, finance, and technology, and boosting private sector and foreign investment. 

The statistical center said: “This report on the quarterly GDP estimates in the GCC countries is issued based on the data made available by the member states, with a reference of May 2025.” 

At the real GDP level, the GCC economy grew 2.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024, with non-oil GDP expanding by 3.7 percent, while oil GDP contracted by 0.9 percent, reflecting voluntary OPEC+ production cuts. 

Among member states, Qatar recorded the highest real GDP growth at 4.5 percent, followed by the UAE at 3.6 percent and Saudi Arabia at 2.8 percent, the report showed. 

The region also maintained stable price levels, with overall inflation averaging 2.1 percent across the bloc during the quarter. Qatar and Oman registered the lowest inflation rates at 1.1 percent and 1.5 percent, respectively, while Bahrain recorded the highest at 3.3 percent. 

In its latest update, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, in collaboration with Oxford Economics, raised its 2025 GCC growth forecast to 4.4 percent, up from a prior estimate of 4 percent, citing stronger oil output and resilient non-oil sector activity. 

The International Monetary Fund projects the GCC economy to expand by 3 percent in 2025, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and supported by sustained infrastructure investment and policy reforms. 


Jeddah port receives LNG-powered MV BYD HEFEI 

Updated 27 July 2025
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Jeddah port receives LNG-powered MV BYD HEFEI 

RIYADH: Jeddah Islamic Port has received the motor vessel BYD HEFEI, a dual-fuel roll-on/roll-off carrier with a 7,000-unit capacity for vehicles and heavy equipment. 

The vessel’s arrival at the Red Sea Gateway Terminal reflects the port’s readiness to handle next-generation maritime traffic and supports the Kingdom’s broader push to enhance supply chain efficiency under Vision 2030. 

Operated at the RSGT — Saudi Arabia’s first Build-Operate-Transfer terminal, partly owned by the Public Investment Fund and global logistics firm DP World — the MV BYD HEFEI highlights the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to modernize terminals and advance sustainability initiatives.

The ship is powered by eco-friendly dual-fuel technology and is designed to meet the latest environmental and operational efficiency standards. 

“This reflects the port’s readiness to accommodate various types of vessels and highlights its advanced operational capabilities,” according to the Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani. 

Strategically positioned near global shipping lanes, Jeddah Islamic Port handles over 65 percent of Saudi Arabia’s seaborne imports, playing a central role in the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy. 

The integration of liquefied natural gas-powered vessels aligns with the NTLS goals and the Saudi Green Initiative, which aim to reduce emissions and promote clean energy in the transportation sector. 

As ports across the UAE, Oman, and major global hubs like Singapore and Rotterdam invest in similar capabilities, Jeddah’s adoption of dual-fuel infrastructure bolsters its regional competitiveness and positions it firmly in the worldwide shift toward sustainable maritime logistics. 

As part of its strategic efforts to strengthen maritime connectivity and diversify trade routes, Mawani has significantly expanded shipping services at Jeddah Islamic Port in 2025. 

Among the newly added services is FRS1, operated by CSTAR LINE, which connects Jeddah to Chinese ports — Ningbo, Shanghai, and Nansha — as well as Aqaba in Jordan and Ain Sokhna in Egypt, with a capacity of up to 2,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. 

In addition, the LRX service by CMA CGM began operations in July, linking Jeddah with key ports in the Levant and Eastern Mediterranean, including Latakia, Iskenderun, Mersin, and Beirut, with a TEU capacity of 2,826. 

Earlier in the year, the IM2 service, jointly operated by Emirates Line and Wan Hai, was introduced, connecting Jeddah to Mundra, Alexandria, and Mersin, with capacity for 2,800 TEUs. 

Sea Lead launched its RESIN service in June 2025, facilitating trade between Jeddah and Nhava Sheva, Ain Sokhna, Djibouti, and Jebel Ali, with a handling capacity of 1,000 TEUs. 

Meanwhile, CMA CGM’s MEDEX service now connects Jeddah to 12 ports across the Middle East, South Asia, and Europe, including Abu Dhabi, Karachi, Colombo, and Piraeus, as well as Malta, Genoa, Fos, Barcelona, and Valencia. 

These service expansions underscore Jeddah Islamic Port’s role as a growing transshipment and trade hub. 

In 2024, the terminal, considered the busiest on the Red Sea and a critical gateway for Saudi Arabia’s trade, handled 5.58 million containers, marking a 12.6 percent year-over-year increase and positioning it 32nd globally by container volume. 


Saudi Arabia sees record 144% rise in new mining exploration licenses in H1

Updated 27 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia sees record 144% rise in new mining exploration licenses in H1

  • Total volume of investments in licenses exceeds SR134 million
  • Total number of mining and small-mine exploitation licenses currently active stands at 239

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia issued a record number of new mining exploration licenses in the first half of 2025, marking a 144 percent year-on-year rise, official data showed. 

A total of 22 licenses were issued during the period, up from just nine in the same period last year, reflecting growing investor interest and the government’s push to build a more competitive and attractive mining sector, according to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. 

The rise aligns with the rapid growth of the Kingdom’s mining industry, a central pillar in its Vision 2030 diversification strategy. Saudi Arabia aims to increase the sector’s contribution to gross domestic product from $17 billion to $75 billion by 2035. The effort is backed by plans to accelerate exploration and development of the Kingdom’s estimated mineral wealth, valued at over SR9.4 trillion ($2.5 trillion). 

“The official spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Jarrah bin Mohammed Al-Jarrah, explained that the number of companies investing in the new mining exploitation licenses issued during the first half of this year reached 23 mining companies, including 16 companies obtaining mining licenses for the first time,” the ministry said.

It added: “The total volume of investments in these licenses exceeds SR134 million, and they cover an area of 47 sq. km.” 

The ministry’s spokesperson said the projects covered by these licenses are expected to produce approximately 7.86 million tonnes annually of various mineral ores, including salt, clay, silica sand, low-grade iron ore, feldspar, and gypsum. 

Al-Jarrah also said the total number of mining and small-mine exploitation licenses currently active in the Kingdom stands at 239. These include 32 Category A licenses for strategic minerals such as gold, copper, phosphate, and bauxite, and 207 Category B licenses for industrial minerals, including silica sand, gypsum, limestone, salt, and clay. 

Earlier in July, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Al-Mudaifer told Asharq Business that the Kingdom’s mining reforms have helped attract $32 billion in investments across projects involving iron, phosphate, aluminum, and copper. He added that this accounts for nearly one-third of Saudi Arabia’s target to attract $100 billion in mining investments by 2030. 

The vice minister said mineral exploration spending in the Kingdom has quadrupled since 2018, reaching $100 per sq. km, with an annual growth rate of 32 percent, significantly above the global average of 6 to 8 percent. 

Al-Mudaifer also said mineral exploration spending in the Kingdom has quadrupled since 2018, now reaching $100 per sq. km — an annual growth rate of 32 percent, significantly outpacing the global average of 6 to 8 percent. 


Saudi Arabia taps French bank to expand local debt market

Updated 27 July 2025
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Saudi Arabia taps French bank to expand local debt market

RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Finance and the National Debt Management Center have signed an agreement appointing France’s Societe Generale as a primary dealer for the Kingdom’s local debt instruments, according to an official statement.

Societe Generale will join five other international institutions already operating as primary dealers, namely BNP Paribas, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs, as well as J.P. Morgan, and Standard Chartered Bank.

As part of ongoing efforts to deepen and diversify its domestic debt market under Vision 2030, the Ministry of Finance and the NDMC have taken new steps to strengthen the role of international and local institutions in supporting sukuk and bond issuance.

“This agreement fits within the Financial Sector Development Program strategy as a step toward achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 by strengthening financial sector institutions and advancing the financial market,” NDMC stated.

The NDMC stated that the deal reaffirms its role in enhancing access to local debt markets by diversifying the investor base. This approach aims to ensure sustainable access to the secondary market and support its growth.

“It is noteworthy that applications for subscription in the primary market for the government's local debt instruments are submitted to the NDMC through the appointed primary dealers on a scheduled monthly basis where these dealers receive the applications submitted by investors,” the statement said.

The French bank will also be added to the list of 10 local institutions participating in the program, including Saudi National Bank, Saudi Awwal Bank, and AlJazira Bank, as well as Alinma Bank, AlRajhi Bank, Albilad Capital, AlJazira Capital, AlRajhi Capital, Derayah Financial Co., and Saudi Fransi Capital.

The Kingdom’s sukuk market has witnessed significant growth in recent years, underpinned by its strategic role in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plans. In the first quarter of 2025, corporate bond and sukuk issuance more than doubled to $37 billion, up from $15.5 billion in the same period of 2020.

Saudi Arabia accounted for more than 60 percent of all sukuk and bond issuance across the Gulf Cooperation Council during that period, according to the Kuwait Financial Center, also known as Markaz.

The NDMC surpassed the $1 billion threshold with its May sukuk issuance, raising SR4.08 billion ($1.08 billion)—a 9.09 percent increase from April and a 54.5 percent rise compared to March’s SR2.64 billion.

In June, the NDMC raised SR2.355 billion, marking a decline from May but demonstrating typical monthly funding fluctuations.

The July issuance rebounded sharply to SR5.02 billion, an increase of 113.6 percent month on month. That issuance was split into tranches maturing in 2029, 2032, 2036, and 2039.

According to S&P Global, the Kingdom’s domestic debt markets are expected to expand further amid Vision 2030 reforms, with sovereign and corporate issuance at 20.7 percent of gross domestic product and corporate debt alone rising from 1.9 percent in 2020 to 3.4  percent in early 2025.