Chinese investors embrace Saudi equities as 2 ETFs debut in Shanghai, Shenzhen

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged higher on Monday, rising by 47.67 points, or 0.39 percent, to close at 12,379.54.

The benchmark index saw a total trading turnover of SR6.3 billion ($1.7 billion), with 116 of the listed stocks advancing, while 117 declined.

The MSCI Tadawul Index also gained 5.22 points, or 0.34 percent, to finish at 1,551.75. In contrast, the Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, ended the day lower, losing 281.88 points, or 0.89 percent, to close at 31,318.24, with 43 stocks advancing and 45 retreating.

Thimar Development Holding Co. emerged as the best-performing stock of the day, with its share price jumping 10 percent to SR51.70.

Other notable gainers included Arabian Pipes Co., which saw a 6.37 percent increase to SR13.36, and Middle East Specialized Cables Co., which rose by 4.95 percent to SR47.75.

Saudi Reinsurance Co. and ACWA Power Co. also posted solid gains, with their share prices surging by 4.82 percent and 4.41 percent, respectively, to SR58.70 and SR435.20.

Alamar Foods Co. saw the sharpest decline, with its share price dropping 3.33 percent to SR78.50. Nice One Beauty Digital Marketing Co. and Naseej International Trading Co. also recorded losses, with their shares slipping 2.91 percent and 2.60 percent, respectively, to SR56.80 and SR97.30.

Saudi Industrial Investment Group saw a 2.40 percent dip, closing at SR17.90, while Riyadh Cables Group Co. dropped 2.34 percent, settling at SR141.80.

Meyar Co. secured SR5.5 million in financing from Riyadh Bank to support its business expansion and enhance operational efficiency.

According to a bourse filing, the five-year financing agreement is part of the bank’s guarantee and bills program. The funds will be used to expand Meyar’s operations, develop production lines, and strengthen supply chains to boost overall efficiency. The investment aligns with the company’s strategic goals of increasing productivity and scaling its operations.

On the market, Meyar saw a 5.06 percent increase in its share price, reaching SR70.60.

Saudi Top Trading Co. announced the completion of construction at its West Coast Factory, which is set to begin trial production in the first quarter of 2025.

Located at the Rabigh PlusTech Park, the factory will start receiving raw materials, including polymer scrap, rubber, and synthetic wax, from Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co. This development follows a memorandum of understanding signed with Petro Rabigh in December 2022.

Under the MoU, Saudi Top Trading secured a 30-year lease on a site to produce 50,000 tonnes annually of polymer compounds, rubber, and waxes. With construction now completed, Saudi Top Trading is poised to enhance its production capabilities and leverage its partnership with Petro Rabigh.

RIYADH: Saudi real estate technology company Rize has closed an SR132 million ($35 million) “Series A” funding round to expand its presence beyond the nation’s capital. 

The round included a mix of equity and debt. funding and was led by Raed Ventures, with participation from SEEDRA Ventures, Aqar Platform, JOA Capital, Nama Ventures, and HALA Ventures. 

The funding also featured a debt financing partnership with Partners For Growth to bolster Rize’s financial capabilities. 

Given the high down payment required for tenants to secure a rental property in the Kingdom, the company has developed a model that enables tenants to pay annual rent in 12 monthly installments, while property owners receive the full amount upfront. 

The rise in Saudi Arabia’s real estate financing underscores the sector’s increasing importance in the Kingdom’s economy, creating a strong foundation for innovative solutions like Rize’s “rent now, pay later” model. 

“This investment represents a major turning point in our journey and reflects the investors’ confidence in our vision to develop the leasing sector,” said Ibrahim Balilah, CEO of Rize. 

Founded in 2021 by Balilah and Mohammed Al-Fraihi, the Riyadh-based company aims to promote sustainability in the Saudi rental market and claims to have facilitated over SR500 million in total rental value through its platform. 

The Series A investment will support Rize’s growth strategy, including expanding its presence beyond Riyadh into the Eastern and Western regions of Saudi Arabia. 

The company also plans to enhance its technological offerings, including automating leasing processes via its app to improve user experience. 

Al-Frahi, co-founder and chief technology officer of Rize, said: “We have worked hard to develop our internal technologies to enable the automation process and make the rental experience smoother. This investment round is a significant step to enhance our technologies and accelerate the company’s growth.” 

Aqar Platform, one of the key investors and a major player in the proptech sector, plans to integrate Rize’s RNPL service into its platform, offering tenants more flexibility in payment options. 

The collaboration is expected to enhance the leasing process and provide innovative solutions for users. 

Omar Al-Majdouie, co-founder at Raed Ventures, said: “We believe in Rize’s ability to bring about a transformative change in the real estate leasing sector, not only by offering innovative services but also by enabling digital transformation in this important field.” 

Waleed Al-Barrak, principal at SEEDRA Ventures, compared Rize’s growth trajectory to that of successful regional fintech leaders, like Tabby and Tamara. 

“Rize is transforming the Saudi rental market and redefining the standards of how people rent. Its extraordinary growth mirrors the success stories of industry leaders,” Al-Barrak said. 

Real estate loans in Saudi banks reached a record SR846.48 billion in the third quarter of 2024, reflecting a 13.29 percent year-on-year increase, according to data from the Saudi Central Bank. 

The growth was driven by retail and corporate lending, with corporate loans jumping 22 percent to SR189.6 billion, while lending to individuals accounted for 78 percent of the total at SAR 656.88 billion, growing at 11.02 percent annually. 

Real estate loans now make up nearly 30 percent of the total loan portfolio of Saudi banks, which stood at SR2.85 trillion by the end of the third quarter.