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☆ World Cup in Saudi Arabia would be structurally really good, says Howe
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 31 (Reuters) - Newcastle United's Eddie Howe would expect a World Cup in Saudi Arabia to be well organised having previously travelled there with his team, the manager said on Tuesday. With Australia deciding not to enter a bid to host the 2034 World Cup, FIFA are expected to announce Saudi Arabia as the only bid received before the Oct. 31 deadline. "Our trips out there to Riyadh and Jeddah were two different experiences really," Howe told a press conference before Newcastle's League Cup tie against Manchester United. If that's a sign of what a World Cup might look like, structurally it will be really good." Newcastle also hosted two Saudi Arabia international games at St. James' Park in September with Costa Rica and South Korea.

Persons: Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, Howe, James ' Park, Trevor Stynes, Ed Osmond Organizations: Newcastle, Australia, FIFA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Newcastle's League, Manchester United, Saudi Arabia, St, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Newcastle, Riyadh, Jeddah, Costa Rica, South Korea

☆ Saudi Arabia is serious about its Jan. 1 deadline for companies to move regional headquarters to Riyadh — or lose out on government contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Saudi National Bank headquarters and other buildings in Riyadh. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesRIYADH — Saudi Arabia is holding on to its ultimatum that foreign companies will need to base their regional headquarters in the kingdom or be barred from lucrative government contracts. In a bold surprise move back in February 2021, the Saudi government announced that it would, by 2024, cease doing business with any international companies whose regional headquarters were not based within the country. The news stunned investors and expat workers, many of whom saw the move as a shot at Dubai, the United Arab Emirates commercial capital that is home to the highest concentration of Middle East regional headquarters. Faisal Al Ibrahim, Saudi minister of economy and planning, told CNBC that the plan is still going ahead and discussed how the kingdom aims to support foreign companies with the change.

Persons: Faisal Al Ibrahim, CNBC's Dan Murphy, Al Ibrahim, that's, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia — Organizations: Saudi National Bank, Riyadh . Bloomberg, Bloomberg, Getty, United Arab Emirates, East, CNBC, Future Investment Initiative, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund Locations: Riyadh ., RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Dubai, Riyadh

☆ EV maker Lucid's deliveries rise as special lower price aids demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Lucid Air electric vehicle is displayed in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., September 27, 2021. REUTERS/Hyunjoo Jin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 17 (Reuters) - Lucid Group (LCID.O) posted a nearly 4% rise in third-quarter deliveries on Tuesday compared to the prior three months, benefiting from a special lower price to promote the sale of its Air luxury electric sedan. The loss-making startup also said more than 700 additional vehicles were in transit to its new plant in Saudi Arabia for final assembly. They have lost more than a fifth of their value this year over concerns that EV startups will bear the brunt of Tesla's price war. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi MajumdarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hyunjoo Jin, Garrett Nelson, Lucid, Jaspreet Singh, Akash Sriram, Shilpi Majumdar Organizations: REUTERS, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, U.S, United States, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru

☆ Indian billionaire Ambani's Reliance Retail to raise $598 mln from ADIA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Retail Ventures said on Friday it would raise 49.67 billion rupees ($598 million) from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, in the latest bet on India's largest retailer ahead of a potential stock market listing. "Reliance Retail has demonstrated strong growth and adaptability in a market that is evolving at an unprecedented pace," said Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, executive director of the private equities department at ADIA. The investment comes as Reliance set an internal target to raise $3.5 billion. ADIA and Singapore's GIC had invested $664 million each into the retail unit in 2020 as Reliance sold a 10.09% stake at a valuation of 4.68 trillion rupees. Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Retail Ventures for the ADIA deal.

Persons: Amit Dave, Mukesh, Hamad Shahwan Aldhaheri, Singapore's GIC, Ambani, Morgan Stanley, Chris Thomas, Maju Samuel Organizations: Reliance Industries, REUTERS, Rights, Retail Ventures, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, ADIA, Reliance, KKR, Qatar Investment Authority, Reuters, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reliance Retail Ventures, Thomson Locations: Ahmedabad, India, Abu Dhabi, ADIA, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Bengaluru

☆ Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL golf league will air on ESPN
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Lillian Rizzo | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Disney' s ESPN has nabbed the broadcast rights to air matches from TGL, the startup golf league led by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. TGL, which is in partnership with the PGA Tour, will have its debut Jan. 9 as part of a multiyear deal. Both TGL matches will air on traditional TV's ESPN and streamer ESPN+. The agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV has yet to be finalized. TGL, a new primetime, high-tech golf league created by Woods, McIlroy and former NBC Sports executive Mike McCarley, has attracted stars from the PGA Tour.

Persons: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, TGL, LIV Golf, LIV, Woods, McIlroy, Mike McCarley, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose, Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Steve Cohen Organizations: Augusta National Golf Club, Disney, ESPN, PGA, ABC, College Football, NFL, Tour, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Endeavor Group Holdings, Fenway Sports Group, CNBC, NBC Sports, Major League Baseball's New York Mets, New York, Private Ventures Locations: Augusta , Georgia, TGL, Palm Beach Gardens , Florida

☆ Lucid launches cheaper Air Pure electric sedan to boost demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A Lucid Air electric vehicle is displayed at a shopping mall in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., September 27, 2021. REUTERS/Hyunjoo Jin/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - Luxury electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group (LCID.O) on Thursday launched a cheaper, rear-wheel drive version of the Air Pure sedan starting at $77,400, as it looks to stoke demand. The new Lucid model, however, is more expensive than the world's most valuable automaker Tesla's (TSLA.O) Model S luxury sedan, which starts at about $75,000. The cheaper electric sedan will offer a range of 410 miles on a full charge and will be available immediately, Lucid said. The EV maker opened its first overseas production factory last month in Saudi Arabia and the Saudi government has agreed to buy up to 100,000 Lucid vehicles over the next decade.

Persons: Hyunjoo Jin, Tesla, Lucid, Akash Sriram, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Air, stoke, Sapphire, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Newark , California, Bengaluru

Trading information and logo for Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc. is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., May 10, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 28 (Reuters) - Endeavor Group (EDR.N) and Boston Red Sox owner Fenway Sports Group have expressed interest in investing in the PGA Tour, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. After a very public war of words, PGA, DP World Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit in June announced a shocking agreement to merge and form one unified commercial entity. PGA's talks with Endeavor and Fenway are still at an early stage, the source said, requesting anonymity because the matter is confidential. Both Fenway and Endeavor are already major players in the sporting industry.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, LIV, PGA's, Niket, Shilpi Majumdar, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: Endeavor Group Holdings, Inc, New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Endeavor, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Sports, PGA, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, U.S, Senators, Fenway, Bloomberg News, Public Investment Fund, Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Premier League club Liverpool, World Wrestling Entertainment, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Saudi, Bengaluru

☆ PGA Tour says LIV merger attracts unsolicited investor interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows the logo of PGA Tour during the Canadian Open’s Championship Pro-Am after news was released of a new partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Nick Lachance/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - PGA Tour said its planned merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf and DP World Tour has garnered unsolicited interest from investors as it continues to finalise an agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour. The PGA said that while it did not solicit additional investment interest, it has a responsibility to members, sponsors and fans to thoroughly evaluate all potential options. Any investments that come from the talks will be made into PGA Tour Enterprises, a subsidiary of the PGA Tour, which it would permanently control. PGA said additional investor interest is not about politics, but because the PGA Tour has, for the first time, created an investment vehicle in PGA TOUR Enterprises and its business is strong.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, LIV Golf, Juby Babu, Chris Reese Organizations: Tour, Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, PGA, PGA Tour Enterprises, Bloomberg, Enterprises, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, U.S, Washington, Bengaluru

WASHINGTON (AP) — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in a rare interview with Fox News on Wednesday that negotiations over Israel means the prospects of normalized relations between both countries “get closer" every day, but that treatment of Palestinians remains a “very important” issue to be resolved. Saudi Arabia is discussing a major agreement with the United States to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for a U.S. defense pact and aid in developing its own civilian nuclear program. We think it’s good not just for Israel and Saudi Arabia, we think it’s good for the whole region,” Kirby said. Saudi Arabia has made major progress in winding down its devastating war with Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, this week hosting a rebel delegation in the capital, Riyadh. The 38-year-old bin Salman assumed day-to-day rule after the aging King Salman named him next in line to the throne in 2017.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “, Bret Baier ”, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, Netanyahu, ”, bin Salman, we’ve, John Kirby, Saudi Arabia “, ” Kirby, Bin Salman, ” Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, ” bin Salman, Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s, PIF, Salman, King Salman Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Fox News, MBS, Israeli, General Assembly, West Bank, National Security, Washington Post, Saudi, Fox News Channel, White House, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Trump, Arab League Locations: — Saudi, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States, Palestinian, Saudi, New York, Asia, East, Europe, Iran, Saudi Arabi, Western, Yemen, Riyadh, Syria, America

☆ Elon Musk denied a report that Tesla planned to build a factory in Saudi Arabia. It's the latest development in his complicated history with the nation.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Elon Musk has denied a report suggesting Tesla has plans to set up a factory in Saudi Arabia. It marks the latest twist in a long and complex history between Musk and Saudi Arabia. "Obviously, the Saudi sovereign fund has more than enough capital needed to execute on such a transaction." Funding secured. Funding secured."

Persons: Elon Musk, Tesla, Musk, — Elon, Yasir al, hadn't, Jty05oJUTk, Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Yasir Organizations: Street Journal, Service, Wall, Journal, Democratic, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Tesla, New York Times, Lucid Motors, JPMorgan, Financial Times, Lucid, @elonmusk, Twitter, Kingdom Holding Co, Reuters, Bloomberg Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Saudi, Here's, Tesla, Saudi Prince, San Francisco

The behind-the-scenes details on the IPO pricing decision are based on interviews with three people familiar with the discussions. Together with other previously unreported deliberations, they shed new light on why SoftBank took a conservative approach in valuing Arm in the IPO. SoftBank, which had owned 75% of Arm, agreed to buy the remaining 25% from its $100 billion Vision Fund at a $64 billion valuation last month. Representatives for Arm, SoftBank, PIF, Mubadala and Raine either declined to comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment. VISION FUND BOUNCEBACKThe Vision Fund returned to profitability in the latest quarter thanks to investors' excitement around artificial intelligence boosting the value of some of the startups in which it invested.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Masayoshi Son, Raine Group, Son, SoftBank, Fund's, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Raine, Didi Global, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank, Wednesday, Arm Holdings, Nasdaq, Vision Fund, Investors, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Vision, Reuters, Nvidia Corp, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, New York, Mubadala, China, United States

Reliance Retail is India's largest retailer and is led by Asia's richest person Mukesh Ambani. Of that, QIA last month announced a $1 billion investment and KKR & Co (KKR.N) this week $250 million. Reliance sold a 10.09% stake in its retail unit in 2020, valuing it at 4.68 trillion rupees ($56.4 billion). When ADIA invested in Reliance Retail in 2020, it said it was part of its strategy of targeting market leading businesses in Asia linked to the region's consumption-driven growth. Reliance Retail reported a consolidated net profit of 91.81 billion rupees ($1.11 billion) for the financial year that ended in March 2023, on revenue of 2.6 trillion rupees.

Persons: Singapore's GIC, Mukesh Ambani, QIA, ADIA, PIF, Marks, Spencer, Ambani, Sriram, Aditya Kalra, Yantoultra Ngui, Alexander Smith Organizations: Reliance, Asia's, Reuters, KKR, Co, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Reliance Industries, Reliance Retail, Unilever, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, DELHI, DUBAI, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, GIC, Asia

As Telefonica's rivals slashed prices to attract internet users, the Spanish company also borrowed to invest in new mobile and internet networks. But the secrecy with which STC (7010.SE) built its stake did catch some observers off guard, the person said. Telefonica said it was informed Tuesday about STC'S investment, after the companies had become more acquainted in recent months. STC sought to keep the stake under wraps until it could buy at least 9.9% of Telefonica, the person said. Middle Eastern investors have been taking stakes in Spanish companies for some time.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Jose Maria Alvarez, Pallete, Alvarez, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, UGT, Morgan Stanley, Linklaters, Motaz Al Angari, Al Angari, pare, EFG Hermes, Nadia Calvino, Inti Landauro, Tomas Cobos, Amy, Jo Crowley, Pablo Mayo, John O'Donnell, Anousha, Elisa Martinuzzi, David Gregorio, Ros Russell Organizations: Spanish Telecom, REUTERS, Rights, Telefonica, STC Group, STC, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Foresight, Saudi, United Arab, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Rights DUBAI, MADRID, Silicon Valley, Saudi, Riyadh, Telefonica, Saudi Arabia, Spanish, Latin America, theocracies, United Arab Emirates, Iberdrola, Davos, Gulf, London

☆ Costa Rica beat Saudi Arabia after protest at St James' Park
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Soccer Football - International Friendly - Saudi Arabia v Costa Rica - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain, September 8, 2023 Saudi Arabia's Ali Abdullah Hazzazi in action with Costa Rica's Manfred Ugalde and Francisco Calvo Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith Acquire Licensing RightsNEWCASTLE, England, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Costa Rica earned a 3-1 win over Saudi Arabia at St James' Park in a friendly on Friday after a pre-match protest by Newcastle United fans over the use of the stadium by the Saudi team. However, they could not find the equaliser and Costa Rica wrapped up the win when Randall Leal fired home in the 89th. Costa Rica interim coach Claudio Vivas told ESPN: "Keylor Navas has a very distinguished career, playing for Real Madrid is important, it's not for just anyone. A group of Newcastle fans protested before the match against the use of St James' Park by Saudi Arabia, who will play again at the stadium on Tuesday versus South Korea. Saudi Arabia won the last of their thee Asian Cup titles in 1996.

Persons: Park, Saudi Arabia's Ali Abdullah Hazzazi, Costa Rica's Manfred Ugalde, Francisco Calvo, Lee Smith, Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell's, Manfred Ugalde, Jimmy Marin's, Roberto Mancini, Ali Al Bulayhi, Feras Al Brikan's, Randall Leal, it's, Navas, Claudio Vivas, He's, St, Angelica Medina, Janina Nuno, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer Football, James, Saudi, St James, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Costa, CONCACAF, Central Americans, ESPN, United Arab, Newcastle, South, Public Investment Fund, AFC Asian, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, Newcastle, Britain, Saudi, NEWCASTLE, England, Qatar, Italy, Feras, United Arab Emirates, Croatia, South Korea, Mexico City

He learned Saudi Arabia's largest telecoms operator, STC Group, aimed to be Telefonica's biggest shareholder, with an interest of 9.9%. The move is a vote of confidence in Telefonica, burdened by billions of dollars in debt while STC gains expertise to modernize Saudi telecoms infrastructure. As Telefonica's rivals slashed prices to attract internet users, the Spanish company also borrowed to invest in new mobile and internet networks. STC sought to keep the stake under wraps until it could buy at least 9.9% of Telefonica, the person said. Middle Eastern investors have been taking stakes in Spanish companies for some time.

Persons: Violeta Santos Moura, Jose Maria Alvarez, Pallete, Alvarez, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, UGT, Morgan Stanley, Linklaters, Motaz Al Angari, Al Angari, pare, EFG Hermes, Inti Landauro, Tomas Cobos, Amy, Jo Crowley, Pablo Mayo, John O'Donnell, Anousha, Elisa Martinuzzi, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Spanish Telecom, REUTERS, Rights, Telefonica, STC Group, STC, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Foresight, Saudi, United Arab, Vodafone, Thomson Locations: Madrid, Spain, Rights DUBAI, MADRID, Silicon Valley, Saudi, Riyadh, Telefonica, Saudi Arabia, Spanish, Latin America, theocracies, United Arab Emirates, Iberdrola, Davos, Gulf, London

☆ House Oversight Democrats ask GOP to subpoena Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner's $3 billion Saudi-backed private equity fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Shortly after leaving the White House, Jared Kushner got $2 billion in funding from the Saudi government for his private-equity fund. Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince who developed close ties to Kushner, pushed the deal through, the New York Times reported. Now, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are asking the GOP to investigate with the same zeal they've applied to Hunter Biden. The letter puts special focus on a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. AdvertisementAdvertisementBut MBS, who chairs the fund, intervened to push the deal through, according to the Times' repoAffinity Partners now has an office in Miami.

Persons: Jared Kushner, Mohammed bin Salman, Kushner, they've, Hunter Biden, Jamie Raskin, Joe Biden's, Raskin, Donald Trump's, James Comer, Comer, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Lockheed Martin, Jamal Khashoggi, Abraham, Austin Hacker, Hacker Organizations: White, New York Times, Service, Democratic, GOP, Affinity Partners, White House, Democrats, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, MBS, Trump, Intercept, The New York Times, Lockheed, National Security Council, Saudi, Times, Abraham Accords, Trump White House, Affinity, CNN Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Maryland, Saudi Arabia, Miami

☆ Newcastle to host Saudi Arabia international friendly games
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Aug 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's men's football team will play two international friendly matches at Newcastle United's stadium in September, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. Newcastle, whose majority shareholder is Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), will host the Saudi national side's games against Costa Rica on Sept. 8 and South Korea on Sept. 12 at St James' Park. The two games form part of Saudi's preparations for the AFC Asian Cup to be held in Qatar in January 2024. Saudi Arabia won the last of their thee Asian Cup titles in 1996. Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Park, Trevor Stynes, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Saudi Arabia's, Newcastle United's, Premier League, Newcastle, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Costa, St James, AFC Asian, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Costa Rica, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia

☆ Saudi soccer league lures Brazilian star Neymar as it seeks to attract 'exceptional players only'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Saudi Arabia also recruited soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema with contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and it's expected to bid to host the 2030 World Cup. Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo poses for a photo with the jersey after signing with Saudi Arabia's Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 30, 2022. Sports analysts are doubtful that Saudi Arabia will see its ambitions to have a top soccer league realized, even with all the money it can offer to top-tier players. Charles Laberge | LIV Golf | Getty ImagesOther criticism comes from an attitude among many that a Saudi league could never be a serious arena for athletes. Emenalo, himself a former defender for Nigeria's national soccer team and former technical director at English club team Chelsea, called the criticisms "outrageous."

Persons: Kylian Mbappe, Neymar Jr, Jean Catuffe, Neymar, Germain, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Kalidou, Lyon's Moussa Dembele, Michael Emenalo, Saudi Arabia's, Al, Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, LIV, shockwaves, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Captain Brooks Koepka, Ricky Elliott, Charles Laberge, LIV Golf, Emenalo, it's, Khalid Al, Falih, that's Organizations: PSG, UEFA Champions League, Celtic Glasgow, Paris Saint Germain, Celtic Park, Getty, Getty Images, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, Brazil national, L'Equipe, Manchester, Saudi Pro League, Nassr Football Club, Al Nassr Football, Anadolu Agency, France national, Sports, American PGA Tour, Saudi Crown, CNBC, Royal Greens, & Country Club, King Abdullah Economic, Nigeria's, soccer team, Chelsea, Saudi League, Guardian, Saudi Investment, Public Investment Fund Locations: Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Hilal, Barcelona, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Europe, Jeddah, King Abdullah, King Abdullah Economic City

If the negotiations lead to a deal, the Japanese tech investor would be delivering a major, immediate windfall to VF1 investors, including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi's Mubadala. A big windfall for VF1 investors could boost SoftBank's chances of tapping them for capital again in the future. VF1's investment committee and SoftBank's investment advisory board, attended by fund investor representatives, are handling the negotiations, one of the sources added. SoftBank, VF1 and Arm declined to comment. SoftBank, which took Arm private for $32 billion in 2016, sold a 25% stake in the company to VF1 for $8 billion in 2017.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Didi Global, VF1, SoftBank, Masayoshi Son, Raine, VF2, Son, Echo Wang, Anirban Sen, Greg Roumeliotis, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, SoftBank Group Corp, Vision Fund, Nasdaq, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, WeWork Inc, Alibaba Group, HK, Deutsche Telekom, Mobile U.S, Amazon.com Inc, Reuters, Nvidia Corp, Thomson Locations: Arm, New York

☆ SoftBank is in talks to buy Vision Fund's 25% stake in Arm, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Yet its previous losses prevented SoftBank from securing outside investors for Vision Fund 2 (VF2), whose $56 billion in capital came from the Japanese firm and its management, including Chief Executive Masayoshi Son. A big windfall for VF1 investors could boost SoftBank's chances of tapping them for capital again in the future. It has been considering raising a third Vision Fund. VF1's investment committee and SoftBank's investment advisory board, attended by fund investor representatives, are handling the negotiations, one of the sources added. SoftBank, VF1 and Arm declined to comment.

Persons: SoftBank, Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, Didi Global, VF1, Masayoshi Son, Raine Organizations: Financial Times, Vision Fund, Nasdaq, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund

Mark Bristow, CEO of Barrick Gold Co. REUTERS/Shelley Christians/File PhotoTORONTO, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO) is open to bringing in Saudi Arabia's wealth fund as one of its partners in Pakistan's Reko Diq gold and copper mine, Barrick CEO Mark Bristow told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Barrick Gold owns a 50% stake in Pakistan's Reko Diq mine, with the remaining 50% owned by the governments of Pakistan and the province of Balochistan. He said that Barrick will support PIF coming into the mine through Pakistan's 25% equity stake. Barrick and Saudi's state-owned mining company Ma'aden jointly operate a copper project in Jeddah.

Persons: Mark Bristow, Shelley Christians, Barrick, Bristow, PIF, Divya Rajagopal, Mark Porter, Conor Humphries Organizations: Barrick Gold , Reuters, Mining, REUTERS, TORONTO, Barrick Gold Corp, Pakistan's, Barrick, Minerals, Barrick Gold, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Ma'aden, Thomson Locations: Cape Town , South Africa, Saudi, Pakistan's, Pakistan, Balochistan, Saudi Arabia, Islamabad, Saudi's, Jeddah, PIF, VALE3

Most of the supply chain has now come through out of the COVID era," CEO Peter Rawlinson told Reuters. Although logistics and labor costs have come down, there was a "significant amount of opportunity" to cut costs further, she said. Lucid on Monday reported revenue in the April-June period of $150.9 million, missing estimates of $175 million, according to seven analysts polled by Refinitiv. Cash stood at $2.78 billion at the end of June, compared with $900 million three month prior. Lucid is set to unveil its Gravity SUV in November ahead of its launch in 2024.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Peter Rawlinson, Sherry House, Rawlinson, Cash, Garrett Nelson, Akash Sriram, Abhirup Roy, Anil D'Silva, Jamie Freed, Leslie Adler Organizations: Nasdaq, Lucid Motors, Churchill Capital Corp, REUTERS, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Reuters, Air, Refinitiv, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Bengaluru, San Francisco

The kingdom's sovereign wealth fund reported an AUM of 1.98 trillion riyals for 2021. The PIF said it generated a total shareholders' return of 8% and established 25 companies in 2022, and locally deployed 120 billion riyals in that year in strategic sectors. The PIF said 23% of its AUM were international investments, while 68% were local investments and the remainder were treasury. PIF is the chosen vehicle of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, to drive an economic agenda aimed at cutting reliance on oil. The fund raised $5.5 billion in February from a green bond sale, following its inaugural green bond that raised $3 billion in October.

Persons: Yasir Othman Al, Mohammed Abdullah Al Jadaan, Ahmed Aqeel Al Khateeb, Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Majid Abdullah Al Qasabi, Khalid Abdulaziz Al Falih, PIF, Ahmed Elimam, Alex Richardson Organizations: Saudi Public Investment, Saudi Finance, Tourism, Investment, Read, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Sunday, Aramco, Sanabil Investments, Thomson Locations: Saudi, DUBAI, London , New York, Hong Kong, Saudi Aramco

☆ EV maker Lucid slashes prices of Air sedan as part of offer amid heating competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Abhirup Roy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Lucid Air electric vehicle is displayed in Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S., September 27, 2021. REUTERS/Hyunjoo Jin/File PhotoSAN FRANCISCO, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle maker Lucid (LCID.O) cut prices of its Air luxury sedans by as much as $12,400 as part of an offer, it said on Saturday, amid rising competition in the U.S. EV industry and a price war sparked by Tesla (TSLA.O). A spokesperson for Lucid said the company was unable to provide details on how much stock will be part of this offer. But rising interest rates to curb inflation and fears of recession have dampened consumer demand, prompting market leader Tesla to slash prices this year. Newark, California-based Lucid is expected to show deepening losses in its second-quarter earnings on Monday after reporting a fall in April-June production due to supply-chain problems.

Persons: Hyunjoo Jin, Tesla, Lucid, Abhirup Roy, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, FRANCISCO, U.S, EV, Plaid, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Scottsdale , Arizona, U.S, Newark , California, San Francisco

The squeeze has already claimed its first casualty in electric truck maker Lordstown Motors (RIDEQ.PK), which filed for bankruptcy in June. Companies including Lucid (LCID.O) and Nikola (NKLA.O) are likely to report another quarter of steep cash burn, as they continue to struggle with production and demand. Nikola, which reiterated a going-concern warning in May, is expected to report a 15% decline in revenue and widening losses on Friday. Its shares have rallied nearly 40% this year as the company attempts to reduce its cash burn with layoffs and the liquidation of a recently acquired battery business. But the company missed its production target in the quarter due to a parts shortage.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Tesla, Nikola, Thomas Hayes, Hayes, Needham, Chris Pierce, Akash Sriram, Sayantani Ghosh, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Ford, Lordstown, Rivian, Visible Alpha, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Bengaluru

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