‘Saudi Arabia could double hotel rooms in the next 10 years’

RIYADH: Egypt has secured a $1.2 billion disbursement from the International Monetary Fund following the completion of the fourth review of its economic reform program.

This disbursement, approved by the IMF’s Executive Board under the Extended Fund Facility, brings Egypt’s total funding under the program to approximately $3.2 billion.

In addition, the IMF has approved a $1.3 billion arrangement under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility to support Egypt’s climate-related reforms.

The 46-month EFF arrangement, which was initially approved in December 2022, is designed to promote macroeconomic stability and drive structural reforms to support sustainable growth. The IMF has acknowledged Egypt’s progress in stabilizing its economy, despite external challenges such as regional conflicts and trade disruptions.

“Since March 2024, the authorities have made considerable progress in stabilizing the economy and rebuilding market confidence despite a challenging external environment,” said Nigel Clarke, deputy managing director and chair of the IMF executive board.  

Macroeconomic indicators show a mixed recovery for Egypt. Gross domestic product growth, which slowed to 2.4 percent in the fiscal year 2023-24 from 3.8 percent the previous year, rebounded to 3.5 percent in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024-25.

Inflation, which had surged in recent years, has been gradually moderating since September 2023, alleviating some pressure on household incomes.

Meanwhile, the government achieved a primary fiscal surplus of 2.5 percent of GDP in 2023-24, marking a one-percentage-point improvement from the previous year. This was primarily driven by expenditure controls, which helped offset weaker domestic revenue performance.

Despite several improvements, Egypt continues to face significant fiscal challenges, including high debt levels and substantial financing needs. The country’s current account deficit widened to 5.4 percent of GDP in 2023-24, largely due to a $6 billion drop in Suez Canal receipts in 2024, caused by trade disruptions in the Red Sea.

However, remittances from Egyptian workers abroad and strong tourism revenues have provided crucial foreign exchange inflows.

To ensure fiscal sustainability, the IMF has recommended that Egypt expand its tax base, streamline tax incentives, and improve compliance. As IMF spokesperson Clarke noted, “Broadening the tax base, streamlining tax incentives, and enhancing compliance are essential to creating fiscal space for priority development and social needs.”

Additionally, the IMF stressed the importance of a comprehensive debt management strategy, which includes deepening the domestic debt market and enhancing fiscal transparency, particularly concerning off-budget entities.

In response to external challenges, the Egyptian government has adjusted its medium-term fiscal targets.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index continued its downward trend for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as it shed 13.03 points or 0.11 percent to close at 11,704.93. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.42 billion ($1.44 billion), with 155 stocks advancing and 83 declining. 

The MSCI Tadawul index also declined by 0.43 percent to 1,476.91.

However, Saudi Arabia’s parallel market Nomu increased 410.19 points to close at 31,173.41. 

 The best-performing stock on the main market was Al-Baha Investment and Development Co. The company’s share price increased by 8.33 percent to SR0.39. 

The share price of Al-Babtain Power and Telecommunication Co. also rose by 7.08 percent to SR41.60.

ARTEX Industrial Investment Co. also saw its stock price rising by 6.54 percent to SR14. 

Conversely, the share price of Saudi Industrial Investment Group declined by 3.96 percent to SR15.02. 

On the announcements front, Arabian Drilling Co. said that its net profit for 2024 reached SR321.3 million, representing a decline of 46.85 percent compared to 2023. 

In a Tadawul statement, the company said that the decrease in net profit was mainly due to start up cost of the new unconventional rigs, as well as higher net finance expenses and depreciation costs, partially offset by higher revenue.

The share price of the company edged down by 0.54 percent to SR91.40.

Savola Group said that its net profit witnessed a surge of 1009.2 percent year on year to reach SR9.97 billion. 

This was primarily driven by the distribution of its 34.52 percent stake in Almarai to shareholders, resulting in a net gain of SR11.3 billion.

The retail segment also contributed to the profit surge, with net earnings climbing from SR47 million in 2023 to SR154 million in 2024. This growth was fueled by the positive impact of the CXR program and an expanded store network.

The share price of the company closed on SR32.70, decreasing 3.54 percent, as it was the second worst performer of the day.

Theeb Rent a Car Co. said that the firm’s net profit for 2024 stood at SR182.7 million, representing an increase of 28.6 percent compared to 2023. 

In a Tadawul statement, the company revealed that its net profit increased due to the improved utilization rate of short and long-term rental segments.

This is in addition to the reduction of certain operational costs items, alongside with the increase in total revenues by 14.73 percent reached SR2.34 billion in 2024, marking a year on year rise of 4.01 percent. 

Theeb Rent a Car Co.’s share price increased by 4 percent to SR73.

AlSaif Stores for Development and Investment Co. also revealed its net profit decrease by 61.7 percent, reaching SR37.53 million.

The decrease was due to an increase in the cost of goods sold, the impact of exceptional offers and an increase in financing interest expenses.

Its share price edged up by 1.05 percent to SR7.60.