海角直播

Saudi non-oil revenues rise to $40bn in Q2, on par with oil earnings

Saudi non-oil revenues rise to $40bn in Q2, on par with oil earnings
Non-oil revenues now account for 49.7 percent of total government income. Shutterstock
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Saudi non-oil revenues rise to $40bn in Q2, on par with oil earnings

Saudi non-oil revenues rise to $40bn in Q2, on par with oil earnings

RIYADH: 海角直播鈥檚 non-oil revenues rose by 6.6 percent in the second quarter of 2025 compared to the same period of last year, reaching SR149.86 billion ($39.96鈥痓illion).

According to data from the Ministry of Finance鈥檚 quarterly budget performance report, this marks a key fiscal milestone, with non-oil revenues now accounting for 49.7 percent of total government income, up from less than 40 percent a year ago.

Oil income fell by 28.76 percent during this period, totaling SR151.73鈥痓illion compared to SR213鈥痓illion a year earlier. This pulled total government revenues down by 15 percent annually to SR301.6鈥痓illion.

The shift reflects two main drivers: the Kingdom鈥檚 economic diversification push under Vision鈥2030, and the voluntary oil production cuts implemented under OPEC+ agreements in late 2023 to stabilize global prices.

These cuts, initially amounting to 1 million barrels per day, have been unwound in gradual phases throughout 2025, with output increases of 138,000 bpd in April, followed by 411,000 bpd increments in May and June.

Production is on track to return to pre-cut levels by September, earlier than initially planned, as the nation seeks to balance market stability with reclaiming market share.

For the first half of 2025, the Kingdom鈥檚 revenues stood at 47.74 percent of the year鈥檚 budgeted target, signaling alignment with fiscal planning.

What drove non-oil revenue growth?

The largest contributor to non-oil income was taxes on goods and services, which accounted for 50 percent of the total, or SR鈥74.95鈥痓illion.

鈥淥ther revenues鈥 followed with a 19.26 percent share or SR28.9鈥痓illion, encompassing earnings from government entities, including the Saudi Central Bank, administrative fees, and port service charges, as well as advertising income, and fines.

Other taxes, primarily corporate zakat, totaled SR26鈥痓illion, while income, profit, and capital gains taxes generated SR13.73鈥痓illion. Taxes on international trade and transactions added SR6.32鈥痓illion.

Much of this growth is linked to robust activity in non-hydrocarbon sectors.

海角直播鈥檚 General Authority of Statistics had reported that the Kingdom鈥檚 gross domestic product grew by 3.4 percent year on year in the first quarter, driven primarily by a 4.9 percent expansion in non-oil transactions while oil activities contracted by 0.5 percent.

The strongest gains came from wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotel sector, which grew by 8.4 percent, transport and communications by 6 percent, and finance and business services by 5.5 percent.

This robust non-oil sector performance, reinforced by tourism, entertainment, technology, and manufacturing growth under Vision 2030, has translated into higher consumption taxes, service fees, and other government income streams, helping to further lift non-oil revenues in the second quarter budget performance report, even as oil revenues declined year on year.

Expenditure trends and fiscal priorities

Government expenditures in the second quarter fell 8.9 percent year on year to SR336.13鈥痓illion. The largest outlay was compensation to employees, which rose 0.4 percent to SR140.40 billion, representing 41.77 percent of total spending.

Expenditure on goods and services came second, at SR73.58鈥痓illion, with a 22 percent share.聽

Non-financial assets or capital expenditure reached SR39.9鈥痓illion but fell sharply, nearly 39 percent year on year.

Social benefits totaled SR39.2鈥痓illion, down 0.1 percent year on year, while 鈥渙ther expenditures鈥 declined 5 percent to SR23鈥痓illion.

According to the Ministry data, total expenditure for the first half of 2025 reached 51.24 percent of the annual budget forecast, in line with fiscal planning.

Deficit financing and debt profile

The second quarter closed with a budget deficit of SR34.53鈥痓illion, which, while 41 percent lower than the first quarter deficit, is 125.11 percent higher than the same quarter last year.

This increase was expected, as government spending is accelerating in the mid-cycle of Vision鈥2030 initiatives, particularly in infrastructure and mega-project execution phases.

For the first half of 2025, the deficit totaled SR93.23鈥痓illion, fully funded through borrowings, according to the ministry.

End-of-period public debt reached SR1.39 trillion, up 14.1 percent annually, with 62.84 percent classified as domestic and 37.16 percent external.

Outlook

With non-oil revenues approaching parity with oil income, 海角直播鈥檚 fiscal structure is becoming increasingly resilient to energy price volatility.

Strong tax-based revenues, stable expenditure management, and the phased restoration of oil production position the Kingdom to maintain momentum in funding its Vision鈥2030 transformation agenda.

Continued expansion in tourism, logistics, finance, and manufacturing is expected to further solidify this trajectory in the second half of the year.

The International Monetary Fund鈥檚 2025 Article IV Consultation reported that 海角直播鈥檚 non-oil real GDP grew 4.5 percent in 2024, driven by strong performance in retail, hospitality, and construction.

Growth in the non-oil economy is projected to reach 3.4 percent in 2025, supported by robust domestic demand fueled by government-led Vision鈥2030 projects and solid credit expansion, even amid softer commodity prices.

While lower oil revenues and investment-related imports have resulted in the emergence of twin deficits, the IMF noted that the Kingdom continues to maintain ample external and fiscal buffers.

Overall, real GDP is expected to rise 3.6 percent in 2025, aided by the gradual reversal of OPEC+ production cuts, with oil output forecast to reach 9.5 million barrels per day in July and continue increasing thereafter.

The fiscal deficit is anticipated to peak at 4 percent of GDP in 2025 before narrowing to around 3.2 percent by 2030, with borrowing expected to be the primary financing source.

Public debt-to-GDP is projected to remain moderate, at 40.6 percent by the end of the decade, which will remain consistent with a low sovereign debt risk according to the IMF.


Oil Updates 鈥 crude set for steepest weekly losses since June on tariffs, Trump-Putin talks

Oil Updates 鈥 crude set for steepest weekly losses since June on tariffs, Trump-Putin talks
Updated 08 August 2025

Oil Updates 鈥 crude set for steepest weekly losses since June on tariffs, Trump-Putin talks

Oil Updates 鈥 crude set for steepest weekly losses since June on tariffs, Trump-Putin talks

NEW YORK/BEIJING: Oil prices fell on Friday, heading for their steepest weekly losses since late June as the latest round of US tariffs weighed on the economic outlook and likely upcoming Trump-Putin talks raised the prospect of an ease in sanctions on Russia.

Brent crude futures were down 51 cents to $65.92 a barrel at 9:30 a.m. Saudi time, on track to decline more than 4 percent week over week.

US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were down 57 cents, or 0.89 percent, to $63.31 a barrel, set to fall nearly 6 percent on a weekly basis.

Higher US tariffs against a host of trade partners went into effect on Thursday. The tariffs raised concerns of weaker economic activity, which would hit demand for crude oil, ANZ Bank analysts said in a note, and came against the backdrop of an already weaker-than-expected US labor market.

A Kremlin announcement on Thursday that Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump would meet in the coming days meanwhile raised expectations of a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine.

That is widely expected to result in eased sanctions on Russia, which could unleash more barrels onto an oversupplied market.

Trump earlier this week had threatened to hike tariffs on India if it kept buying Russian oil, which the market viewed as putting further pressure on Russia to reach a deal with the US, independent market analyst Tina Teng told Reuters.

Trump on Wednesday also said China, the largest buyer of Russian crude oil, could be hit with tariffs similar to those being levied against Indian imports.

Oil prices were already reeling from the OPEC+ group鈥檚 decision last weekend to fully unwind its largest tranche of output cuts in September, months ahead of target.

At Thursday鈥檚 close, WTI futures had dropped for six consecutive sessions, matching a declining streak last recorded in December 2023. If prices settle lower on Friday, it will be the longest streak since August 2021.


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,930

Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,930
Updated 07 August 2025

Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,930

Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 10,930
  • Parallel market Nomu dropped 60.93 points to close at 26,648.71
  • MSCI Tadawul Index lost 0.24% to reach 1,406.76

RIYADH: 海角直播鈥檚 Tadawul All Share Index declined on Thursday, losing 16.44 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 10,930.30. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR4.53 billion ($1.209 billion), with 120 listed stocks advancing and 128 declining. 

The Kingdom鈥檚 parallel market Nomu dropped by 60.93 points to close at 26,648.71.

The MSCI Tadawul Index also decreased, falling 0.24 percent to reach 1,406.76. 

The top performer on the main market was Bawan Co., whose share price rose 9.94 percent to SR58.60. 

The share price of Banan Real Estate Co. also rose 9.73 percent to SR4.96. 

Al Sagr Cooperative Insurance Co. saw its stock price increase by 5.76 percent to SR13.22. 

Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. witnessed a drop in its share price by 4.83 percent to SR39.78. 

In corporate announcements, 海角直播n Mining Co., known as Ma鈥檃den, recorded a net profit of SR1.92 billion in the second quarter of the year, up 87.7 percent from SR1.02 billion in the same quarter of 2024.

The company attributed the sharp rise in quarterly profit to an SR1.34 billion increase in gross profit, driven by higher sales prices and volumes across the phosphate, aluminum, and gold business units.

Additional contributors included improved earnings from joint ventures and associates, reduced finance costs, and lower zakat, tax, and severance expenses.

National Gas and Industrialization Co. reported revenues of SR1.57 billion for the first half of 2025, marking a 16.9 percent rise from SR1.35 billion in the same period last year.

The revenue increase was largely driven by a SR227 million rise in gas sales, due to higher gas prices and volumes, according to the company鈥檚 financial report. Additional boosts came from increased sales of empty cylinders by SR6.5 million and other services by SR8.9 million. This came despite a SR14.4 million decline in commercial project revenues.

National Gas and Industrialization Co.鈥檚 share price climbed 0.92 percent to SR76.7. 

Obeikan Glass Co. posted a net profit of SR10.86 million in the second quarter, reflecting a 4.1 percent decline from SR11.33 million in the same period last year.

The company attributed the annual decline in net profit to a rise in raw material costs, which weighed on profitability despite higher selling prices.

Obeikan Glass Co.鈥檚 share price rose 0.44 percent to SR31.66.

Al Hammadi Holding reported a net profit of SR61.96 million in the second quarter, marking a 47.4 percent decline from SR117.87 million in the same quarter of 2024.

The company attributed the year-on-year drop in net profit to a one-off SR55.27 million gain realized in the second quarter of last year from the sale of a vacant land plot in Riyadh鈥檚 Al-Rayyan district.

Al Hammadi Holding鈥檚 share price fell 4.44 percent to SR34.88. 

Savola Group reported a net profit of SR105.7 million in the second quarter, down 21.9 percent from SR135.4 million in the same period last year.

The firm attributed the year-on-year decline in reported net profit primarily to the absence of a SR210.8 million share of profit from its previously distributed investment in Almarai and SR23.1 million in discontinued operations, which were recorded in the same period last year.

Savola Group鈥檚 share price decreased by 1.77 percent to SR24.4. 


Riyadh Air taps travel tech platform Amadeus for global distribution ahead of launch

Riyadh Air taps travel tech platform Amadeus for global distribution ahead of launch
Updated 07 August 2025

Riyadh Air taps travel tech platform Amadeus for global distribution ahead of launch

Riyadh Air taps travel tech platform Amadeus for global distribution ahead of launch

RIYADH: 海角直播鈥檚 Riyadh Air has signed a global distribution agreement with Amadeus to expand its international footprint, connecting to more than 190 travel markets ahead of its commercial launch. 

The deal links the Public Investment Fund-owned carrier to one of the world鈥檚 largest networks of travel sellers via the Amadeus Travel Platform, boosting its retail capabilities and global reach. 

The partnership is expected to support the Kingdom鈥檚 National Aviation Strategy, which targets doubling passenger capacity to 330 million annually from over 250 global destinations and increasing cargo handling to 4.5 million tonnes by the end of this decade. 

Announced in 2023 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Riyadh Air is expected to contribute over $20 billion to the non-oil gross domestic product and create more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

In a statement, Vincent Coste, chief commercial officer of the airline, said: 鈥淧artnering with Amadeus gives us the global reach, distribution power, and retailing capabilities needed to support our goal of flying to over 100 destinations by 2030.鈥

He added: 鈥淭his partnership is not only about enabling seamless travel experiences, but also about contributing to the broader national vision of economic diversification, tourism growth, and enhanced global connectivity.鈥 

The agreement includes future distribution of Riyadh Air鈥檚 New Distribution Capability content, enabling the airline to offer more dynamic and personalized products. It will give Riyadh Air greater control over its indirect sales strategy as it builds toward full operations, according to a press release. 

鈥淎madeus brings not only global reach, but also advanced retailing, merchandising, and data-driven tools that will help Riyadh Air differentiate itself on the global stage,鈥 said Maher Koubaa, executive vice president of the travel unit and managing director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at Amadeus. 

He added: 鈥淲e are excited to support Riyadh Air鈥檚 contribution to Vision 2030 and the Kingdom鈥檚 aspirations to become a global tourism and travel leader.鈥 

Riyadh Air plans to launch a new international destination every two months once operations begin, as it prepares to take delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the airline鈥檚 CEO Tony Douglas told Bloomberg in June.

The carrier, which requires two aircraft to operate a round-trip route, is awaiting delivery of its initial jets to commence services.

Four Dreamliners are currently in various stages of assembly at Boeing鈥檚 facility in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations expected to begin once the first two are delivered. 

In addition to its Boeing orders, Riyadh Air announced at the Paris Air Show in June that it will purchase up to 50 Airbus A350 long-range aircraft, with deliveries expected to start in 2030.

The airline has also placed orders for 60 Airbus A321neo narrowbody jets and up to 72 Boeing 787s, including options.


Saudi Exchange proposes rule changes to expand access to Parallel Market聽

Saudi Exchange proposes rule changes to expand access to Parallel Market聽
Updated 07 August 2025

Saudi Exchange proposes rule changes to expand access to Parallel Market聽

Saudi Exchange proposes rule changes to expand access to Parallel Market聽

RIYADH: 海角直播鈥檚 stock exchange has proposed a set of rule changes aimed at broadening investor access to its Parallel Market, in a move that could further stimulate listings and deepen capital market activity. 

The Saudi Exchange Co., also known as Tadawul, published draft amendments to its exchange rules for public consultation, inviting feedback until Aug. 19, according to a statement. 

The proposed reforms target the definition of 鈥渜ualified investors,鈥 loosen listing requirements for the Parallel Market, known as Nomu, and align existing regulations with updates under the new Companies Law. 

The move is part of the exchange鈥檚 broader strategy to diversify funding channels and boost private sector participation in equity markets, in line with the country鈥檚 Vision 2030 economic transformation plan. 

In a statement, Tadawul stated: 鈥淭he amendments also include changes to the market value requirement for publicly held shares and the expected aggregate market value requirement as of the listing date for all shares to be listed on the Parallel Market.鈥 

It added: 鈥淔urthermore, the amendments also aim to align with the Capital Market Authority鈥檚 Regulations, as amended to implement the new Companies Law.鈥 

One of the key proposals includes creating a new classified category within the qualified investor definition for Nomu. The expanded eligibility would allow more institutional and individual investors to participate in the secondary market, which caters primarily to small and medium-sized enterprises. 

Under the revised rules, qualified investors in Nomu would include capital market institutions, investment funds, Gulf Cooperation Council companies, qualified foreign financial institutions, and certain high-net-worth individuals. 

Notably, the net worth threshold for individuals would remain at SR5 million ($1.33 million), but the minimum securities market activity could be reduced to SR30 million over the past year, down from SR40 million, which would lower the barrier to entry for active investors, the draft amendments document showed. 

The exchange has also proposed adjustments to the market capitalization and liquidity criteria for listings on Nomu. The minimum market value of publicly held shares at the time of listing could be reduced to SR30 million or 20 percent of the share class 鈥 whichever is less 鈥 while the minimum expected aggregate market value of all listed shares may be set at SR10 million for initial public offerings and SR100 million for direct listings, the document noted. 

The new rules also allow for lower thresholds to be approved by the Capital Market Authority if a company demonstrates sufficient investor demand and share liquidity. 

The proposed amendments aim to harmonize Tadawul鈥檚 rulebook with regulatory changes introduced under the updated Companies Law, particularly those related to corporate restructurings and listings following demergers or spin-offs. 

Definitions of terms such as 鈥淒emerger,鈥 鈥淪pin-Off,鈥 and 鈥淨ualified Investor鈥 have been revised to reflect these changes. 

The Saudi Exchange has opened a 14-day public consultation window, during which stakeholders can submit their feedback to the draft proposals via email. Final rule changes will be issued after review and approval by the CMA, the release added. 

The reforms come as 海角直播 continues to see a steady flow of listings on both the main market and Nomu, driven by favorable macroeconomic conditions and the government鈥檚 drive to deepen its capital markets. 

海角直播 accounted for 31 percent of the region鈥檚 total initial public offering proceeds in 2024, making it the second-largest contributor after the UAE. The Saudi Exchange hosted 14 IPOs on its main market, raising a total of $3.8 billion. Its parallel market saw 28 IPOs that collectively raised $297 million.


海角直播 hosts first regional deployment of OpenAI models through HUMAIN-Groq partnership

海角直播 hosts first regional deployment of OpenAI models through HUMAIN-Groq partnership
Updated 07 August 2025

海角直播 hosts first regional deployment of OpenAI models through HUMAIN-Groq partnership

海角直播 hosts first regional deployment of OpenAI models through HUMAIN-Groq partnership
  • Deployment will enable developers, researchers, and enterprises to access AI tools previously limited by infrastructure or compliance constraints
  • Groq CEO said partnership expands company鈥檚 reach into Middle East

RIYADH: 海角直播 has become the first country in the region to host OpenAI鈥檚 newly released publicly available models through a deployment announced by HUMAIN and Groq.

The gpt-oss-120B and gpt-oss-20B models are operated on Groq鈥檚 high-speed inference infrastructure located within HUMAIN鈥檚 sovereign data centers in the Kingdom. 

The move is part of broader efforts to localize advanced artificial intelligence infrastructure, aligning with national regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. 海角直播鈥檚 deployment of OpenAI鈥檚 open-source models within domestic infrastructure supports a wider strategy to diversify its economy and position itself as a key player in global AI.

Under Vision鈥2030, the Kingdom envisions a digital economy powered by AI, investing heavily in sovereign compute infrastructure to support emerging markets across Africa and Asia.

HUMAIN, a company backed by the Public Investment Fund, said the deployment will enable Saudi-based developers, researchers, and enterprises to access AI tools that were previously limited by infrastructure or compliance constraints. 

Groq, a US-based company specializing in AI inference hardware, provides a custom-built processing platform designed to deliver consistent, high-speed performance. 

HUMAIN CEO Tareq Amin described the development as a step forward in achieving technological self-reliance. 

鈥淲ith the deployment of OpenAI鈥檚 most powerful open models, hosted right here inside the Kingdom, Saudi developers, researchers, and enterprises now have direct access to the global frontier of AI 鈥 fully aligned with our national regulations and data laws,鈥 he said. 

The company claims that the gpt-oss-120B model operates at more than 500 tokens per second, while the gpt-oss-20B exceeds 1,000 tokens per second on its platform. 

The establishment of HUMAIN by PIF in May, backed by commitments from Nvidia, AMD, Cisco, and Amazon Web Services, illustrates this push, with multi鈥慴illion鈥慸ollar agreements to expand local AI compute capacity, data centers, and foundational models. 

The infrastructure is positioned as fully sovereign, meaning all data handling complies with Saudi regulations. 

This could be significant for organizations in the public and private sectors that require local hosting of data-intensive applications. The companies did not disclose commercial terms or usage projections. 

Groq CEO Jonathan Ross said the partnership expands the company鈥檚 reach into the Middle East. 

鈥淥ur partnership with HUMAIN gives us a powerful regional and globally central presence in one of the fastest-growing AI ecosystems on the planet,鈥 Ross said. 

The announcement builds on a partnership first disclosed in May and aligns with 海角直播鈥檚 national strategy to become a competitive player in global AI development. 

HUMAIN had previously stressed its ambition to develop AI capabilities across infrastructure, foundational models, and sector-specific applications.