8th March, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is marching towards its end-2025 target of US$1 trillion with a further 8% stake in Aramco transferred to its portfolio by the government, in order to fund the Kingdom’s aggressive economic diversification program.
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5th March, 2024
Gulf states have tended to use soft power to gain geopolitical influence via economic and cultural relations, particularly in the MENA and Central Asian regions. The cold war within the GCC has subsided with a deal between Doha and a Saudi-led alliance over Qatar’s alleged closeness to the Muslim Brotherhood. Yet, rivalries are still heated and they are vying for regional influence and at a time of heightened geopolitical sensitivities, with this week seeing Saudi Arabia cement its ties with Bahrain via their sovereign funds while Qatar's QIA is deepening its exposure to Uzbekistan.
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29th February, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has tapped global markets for a mega-sukuk worth US$2 billion, bringing its total debt to an estimated US$36 billion - and it unlikely to stop its borrowing spree.
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28th February, 2024
Last year’s venture capital drought has given way to a deluge of investment with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) the latest to open the sluice gates of funds for startups.
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19th February, 2024
PIF’s US public equities portfolio fell 3.4% q-o-q to US$35.2 billion in Q4 2023, dragged down by the value of its holding in EV maker Lucid Motors but also including the divestment of a chunky gaming stock, according to its latest 13F filing.
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7th February, 2024
Saudi Arabia has launched two separate new major economic development entities, established under the auspices of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the National Development Fund (NDF) respectively, to drive investment in manufacturing and infrastructure, with a stress on sustainability.
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2nd February, 2024
The central position sovereign wealth funds are taking in India’s economic development was highlighted in the FY2024/25 budget published this week, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman extending their tax benefits and continuing exemption for businesses located at the International Financial Services Centre in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City).
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31st January, 2024
Canadian public pension fund CDPQ’s US$1.5 billion aircraft leasing partnership with SMBC Aviation Capital, announced this week, is the latest in a line of similar investments in aircraft lessors by state-owned investors, seeking to provide fleets to operators instead of the more complex business of running an airline.
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24th January, 2024
The Public Investment Fund’s (PIF) insatiable appetite for sport, leisure and entertainment has not abated in the first few weeks of 2024, with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund developing partnerships in electric motorsport and reportedly making a move on top Italian football team AC Milan.
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16th January, 2024
The Red Sea region is at significant risk of conflict escalation amid Houthi attacks on ships and retaliation by the US, UK and their partners in Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect global supply chains - and this puts Gulf sovereign wealth funds' investments in the region at increasing risk as conflict escalates.
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9th January, 2024
The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) is reportedly in negotiations with the Egyptian government to acquire a majority stake in the Export Development Bank of Egypt (EBank) as it heads for an IPO.
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4th January, 2024
Saudi Arabia’s PIF continues to advance its role in the Kingdom’s economy, championing state capitalism with the acquisition of a 23.1% stake in the Tadawul-listed Middle East Paper Company (Mepco) worth an estimated SAR522 million (US$139 million) based on current share prices.
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