Consumers in Saudi Arabia dial up electronics spending, latest POS data reveals

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index slipped on Sunday, losing 5.62 points, or 0.05 percent, to close at 12,409.87.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.09 billion ($1.35 billion), as 108 of the stocks advanced and 118 retreated. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, lost 145.58 points, or 0.47 percent, to close at 31,105.07. This comes as 42 of the listed stocks advanced while 43 retreated. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index, however, gained 1.59 points, or 0.10 percent, to close at 1,54561. 

The best-performing stock of the day was Mutakamela Insurance Co., whose share price rose 9.74 percent to SR18.02. 

Other top performers included Allied Cooperative Insurance Group and Saudi Arabian Cooperative Insurance Co. whose share prices gained 8.55 percent to SR16 and 7.71 percent to SR17.88, respectively.

Thimar Development Holding Co. recorded the most significant drop, falling 7.5 percent to SR53.

Saudi Arabian Amiantit Co. also saw its stock prices fall 5.77 percent to SR29.40.

CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. saw its stock prices decline 4.26 percent to SR54.

Multi Business Group Co. announced its annual financial results for the period ending Dec. 31.

According to a Tadawul statement, the company reported a net profit of SR10.5 million last year, reflecting a 19.06 percent increase compared to 2023. 

The growth was driven by an 8 percent rise in total revenues, a 12 percent increase in gross profit, an 8 percent reduction in general and administrative expenses, and a 45 percent decrease in financing costs, despite a 161 percent surge in zakat expenses.

Multi Business Group Co. ended the session at SR18.80, up 10.43 percent.

Edarat Communication and Information Technology Co. announced its annual consolidated financial results for the period ending Dec. 31.

A bourse filing revealed that the firm recorded a net profit of SR24.6 million in 2024, reflecting a 41.98 percent rise compared to the previous year. 

The jump is primarily linked to a 31 percent rise in gross profit, which reached SR45.3 million in 2024, compared to SR34.6 million in 2023. Moreover, administrative expenses, as a percentage of revenue, dropped from 19.07 percent in 2023 to 16.71 percent in 2024, further leveraging the growth in net profit.

Edarat ended the session at SR671, up 1.55 percent.

The National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia announced its interim financial results for the period ending Dec. 31. According to a Tadawul statement, the firm recorded a net profit of SR2.16 billion in 2024, up 34.45 percent compared to 2023. 

The rise is owed to a surge in gross profit by SR627 million and an increase in the firm’s share in results of equity accounted investees by SR166 million. The increase in net profit was partially reduced by a decline in other income and a rise in general and administrative expenses compared to the same period last year.

National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia ended the session at SR29.95, down 0.67 percent.

Bank AlJazira has announced its annual financial results for the period ending Dec. 31. A bourse filing revealed that the firm recorded a net profit of SR1.23 billion in 2024, up 20.69 percent compared to 2023.

The bank ended the session at SR18.68, down 3.08 percent.

Saudi Awwal Bank also announced its annual financial results for the same period. According to a Tadawul statement, the firm recorded a net profit of SR8.07 billion in 2024, up 15.25 percent compared to 2023. This rise is due to a surge in total operating income, partially offset by a jump in total operating expenses and tax charges.

The bank ended the session at SR36.40, up 1.95 percent.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s military spending has increased at an annual rate of 4.5 percent since 1960, reaching $75.8 billion in 2024. This accounts for 3.1 percent of global defense spending, according to a senior official.

Speaking at the fourth Global Strategies in Defense and Aerospace Industry Conference in Antalya, Turkiye, Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Ohali, governor of the General Authority for Military Industries, noted that global military expenditure now totals $2.44 trillion.

Al-Ohali emphasized that Saudi Arabia has earmarked around $78 billion for the military sector in its 2025 budget. This allocation represents 21 percent of the total government spending and 7.19 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

The governor reiterated that the work of GAMI is aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to build a prosperous, diversified, and sustainable economy by reducing dependence on oil revenues and fostering growth in industry and innovation.

“In the presence of His Excellency Prof. Haluk Gorgun, chairman of the Defense Industries Authority of Turkiye, and leaders of Turkish military industry companies, I discussed Saudi Arabia’s ongoing transformation toward a more diversified and innovation-driven economy,” Al-Ohali stated.

He further added: “I also emphasized the promising investment opportunities within Saudi Arabia’s military industries sector and the strategic partnerships between our two countries, with the goal of localizing over 50 percent of military spending by 2030.”

The governor underscored GAMI’s commitment to developing a sustainable military industries sector that not only strengthens military readiness but also makes a significant contribution to the national economy.

To achieve its localization goals, the authority has introduced several initiatives designed to attract both foreign and domestic investments in the defense sector.

Al-Ohali highlighted that GAMI has rolled out a range of incentives to encourage investment and expand military industries, helping companies meet localization targets.

“A total of 74 supply chain opportunities have been created within the military industries sector, with 30 priority opportunities identified, representing about 80 percent of future expenditures on supply chains,” he noted.

The authority is also offering support and facilitation to small and medium-sized enterprises specializing in military industries, both domestically and internationally.

“The aim is to establish a resilient and robust military industrial base that will not only bolster national security but also contribute significantly to the Kingdom’s economic diversification,” Al-Ohali added.

In November of last year, Al-Ohali mentioned at the Local Content Forum that Saudi Arabia had localized 19.35 percent of its military spending, a significant increase from just 4 percent in 2018. The Kingdom plans to exceed 50 percent by 2030.

He also pointed out that the number of licensed entities in the military industries sector had risen to 296 by the third quarter of 2024.

Saudi Arabia continues to solidify its position as a key player in the global defense sector, with strategic partnerships and industrial development playing a pivotal role in achieving the goals outlined in Vision 2030.