East Lane Partners invests in Cloudzlab to boost capabilities across Mideast

Saudi Coffee Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, has announced that JAZEAN, its flagship specialty coffee brand, is set to be featured in the Kingdom’s first Monopoly board game, Riyadh Edition. The Monopoly Riyadh Edition was officially launched on June 26, at King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh’s innovation hub.

JAZEAN’s presence in Monopoly, the world’s second most played board game after chess, showcases the brand’s deep cultural relevance. Its inclusion recognizes JAZEAN’s pivotal role in elevating Saudi Arabia’s rich coffee heritage to the global stage through the brand’s storytelling and premium specialty coffee blends.

“We are honored that JAZEAN has been selected to represent Saudi culture in association with a global household name like Monopoly,” said Mohammed Zainy, chief marketing officer of SCC. “JAZEAN creates immersive experiences that connect people to the story, flavor, and hospitality of Saudi coffee, and this special edition of Monopoly offers a new platform to share that experience on a global scale.”

The launch event celebrated Saudi Arabia’s most notable landmarks, with the introduction of culturally significant icons featured in the game. Cultural symbols such as the dallah, the traditional Saudi coffee pot, along with visuals of Saudi coffee farms adorn the game board, providing players around the world a chance to explore and celebrate Saudi Arabia’s rich heritage through its iconic architecture, cultural landmarks, and traditions.

As Monopoly celebrates its 90th anniversary, this feature reflects the game’s enduring impact around the world. Monopoly’s different editions have seen more than 275 million copies sold in 37 languages in at least 103 countries. The board game’s resonance across the GCC is clear, with over 98 million minutes of engagement recorded across regional editions.

With the global board game market projected to exceed $22 billion by 2028, this collaboration with Monopoly provides JAZEAN and SCC with a powerful platform to reach new audiences and deepen cultural awareness.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has announced the establishment of its commercial paper program, adding a new source of funding to its existing instruments.

The program, which allows CP issuance through offshore special purpose vehicles, comprises two sub-programs, a US CP program and a Euro CP program. The program is rated P-1 by Moody’s and F1+ by Fitch, the highest possible ratings for such an initiative.

CP issuances enhance PIF’s short-term financing flexibility and complement its long-term capital raising efforts. CP is a common cash management tool in global financial markets, and the establishment of this program by PIF reflects its agile capital raising strategy.

Fahad AlSaif, PIF’s head of global capital finance and investment strategy and economic insights, said: “The establishment of our CP program reflects the continued strength and depth of PIF’s capital raising strategy, one that is dynamic, resilient, and fit for purpose, aligning funding solutions with our long-term investment priorities.”

PIF’s medium-term capital-raising strategy is built on diversified funding solutions that include a range of instruments, such as bonds, sukuk and loans. In October 2022, PIF became the first sovereign wealth fund globally to issue a green bond including the world’s first century green bond. This was later followed by PIF’s inaugural sukuk issuance priced at $3.5 billion. PIF is rated Aa3 by Moody’s with a stable outlook, and A+ by Fitch, also with a stable outlook.

PIF is one of the world’s most impactful investors, enabling the creation of key sectors and opportunities that help shape the global economy, while driving the economic transformation of Saudi Arabia.