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☆ Lucid opens first international EV factory in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 27 (Reuters) - Electric-vehicle maker Lucid Group (LCID.O) said on Wednesday it had opened its first international manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah city, under a deal designed to further the Middle Eastern country's electrification push. Lucid announced plans for the Jeddah factory last year and said the kingdom had signed an agreement to buy up to 100,000 vehicles from the company over 10 years. In 2022, the kingdom launched its first EV brand Ceer and announced $6 billion in investments for a steel plate mill complex and an EV battery metals plant. Industry leader Tesla (TSLA.O) is also reportedly in early discussions to set up a manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia. Lucid's other manufacturing plant is in Arizona, United States.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Lucid, Tesla, Yuvraj Malik, Devika Organizations: Nasdaq, Lucid Motors, Churchill Capital Corp, REUTERS, Industry, King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi's Public Investment Fund, EV, Thomson Locations: New York City , New York, U.S, Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, Jeddah, China, United States, Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, Arizona, Bengaluru

☆ California-based EV maker Lucid opens first-ever auto plant in Saudi Arabia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Tom Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Californian EV-maker Lucid has opened the first ever car manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom looks to establish itself as a global player in the EV race. The factory — the company’s first international plant — will initially focus on re-assembling vehicle kits sent over from the United States. “We look forward to delivering Saudi-assembled cars to customers in Saudi Arabia and beyond.” Saudi Arabia’s powerful Public Investment Fund (PIF), controlled by the Saudi government, is Lucid’s largest shareholder. Saudi Arabia wants 30% of new car sales in the kingdom to be electric by 2030. Earlier this month, The Wall Street Journal reported that Saudi Arabia had also held talks with Tesla over an EV factory in the kingdom.

Persons: Lucid, ”, Peter Rawlinson, Tesla, Elon Musk Organizations: CNN, King Abdullah Economic, Saudi, Public Investment Fund, Siemens, Street Journal, EV Locations: Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, Jeddah, United States, Saudi

☆ 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

☆ Saudi Arabia and the UAE are battling to become the Middle East's economic superpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Saudi Arabia's crown prince is shaking up his economy in a move escalating its UAE rivalry. In March, Saudi Arabia unveiled Riyadh Air , a new airline serving as an alternative to the UAE's Emirates and Etihad Airways. If you want to do business with Saudi Arabia or Saudi state-owned entities, you've got to base your regional HQ in Saudi Arabia." "Saudi Arabia sees the separation project in Yemen as a way to let the Houthis control the north and therefore have a more-threatening border at the south of Saudi Arabia." Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERSHow far the rivalry between the two nations goes largely depends on Saudi Arabia's actions.

Persons: Saudi Arabia's, Mohammed bin Salman, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, MBZ, Obama, You've, Kristian Ulrichsen, Rice, Sheikh Mohamed, Prince Mohammed, Sheikh Mohamed —, —, Leon Neal, Shaybah, Ulrichsen, Sheikh Zayed, Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Neom, Abishur Prakash, Jorg Greuel, Abdullah Alaoudh, Prakash, you've, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed, Ludovic Marin, Mohammed's, Jamal Khashoggi, Biden, Baker Institute's Ulrichsen, Alaoudh, wouldn't Organizations: United Arab Emirates, UAE, Service, Baker Institute, Saudi, UAE —, Qatar, Dubai, United, Freedom Initiative, UAE's Emirates, Etihad Airways, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle United FC, English Premier League, Manchester City, Saudi Crown, Getty, Ritz Carlton, Saudi Royal Court, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, United Nations Locations: Saudi, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, East, Washington, London, UAE, Persian, Al Ain, British, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Riyadh, Manchester City . Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, Istanbul, Yemen, Iran, Saudi Arabia's, Bandar, Ukraine

LONDON, Sept 21 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Barely a day goes by without an eye-catching story involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. A third of the fund consists of significant stakes in domestic companies like the $51 billion Saudi Telecom Company (7010.SE) and $53 billion Saudi National Bank (1180.SE). Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsThe PIF’s investment strategy is also racier than its more conservative peers. But the episode reinforces the impression that the PIF is a mix of venture capital, hedge fund and startup money. The most spectacular was probably handing $45 billion to SoftBank Group (9984.T) boss Masayoshi Son for his $100 billion first Vision Fund.

Persons: Kylian Mbappé, It’s, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Yasir Al, Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Rumayyan, Salman bin Abdulaziz, Masayoshi Son, SWFs, Taiwan’s Foxconn, Peter Thal Larsen, Streisand Neto Organizations: Reuters, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Standard Chartered, Spanish telco Telefonica, Fund, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Global, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Saudi, Saudi Telecom Company, Saudi National Bank, Saudi Aramco, giga, Qatar Investment Authority, Singapore’s Temasek, Al, MbS, SoftBank Group, Vision, Credit Suisse, UBS, Saudi giga, Aramco, Investment, Thomson Locations: Spanish, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Saudi

☆ Saudi crown prince says he will keep 'sportswashing' as criticism of the practice grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Drew Richardson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Call it whatever you want, we're going to get that one and a half percent," the crown prince said. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), an entity controlled by Crown Prince Mohammed, has backed Saudi soccer clubs and LIV Golf. The LIV Golf merger with the PGA Tour has faced widespread scrutiny. Key U.S. lawmakers have criticized the pending golf merger as an attempt by the kingdom to distract from its human rights record. Prior to the deal, LIV Golf sued the PGA Tour for alleged anticompetitive practices, which prompted the PGA Tour to countersue, saying LIV Golf was stifling competition.

Persons: Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, sportswashing, I'm, Critics, Jamal Khashoggi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf, Crown Prince Mohammed, LIV, Osama bin Laden, It's, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Jimmy Dunne, Ron Price, Price, Benjamin Freeman, — CNBC's Lillian Rizzo, Chelsey Cox Organizations: Saudi, Saudi Arabian Crown, Partnership, Global Infrastructure, Fox News, Washington Post, Neymar, PGA Tour, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Crown, Reuters, PGA, Key U.S, Homeland Security, Governmental Affairs, Tour, Quincy Institute, Responsible Locations: Saudi Arabian, New Delhi, India, Saudi, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Key, Yemen

Meanwhile, failed uprisings in Bahrain and eastern Saudi Arabia were followed by years-long crackdowns and a continuing civil war in Syria. “What we’re beginning to see in Saudi Arabia right now is the emergence of a new social contract. Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of crude oil, and nearly two-thirds of its income still comes from selling fossil fuels. If Saudi Arabia can become a hub for major sporting events, then that’s a way of attracting interest to the country,” said Maguire. In response to previous criticism about Saudi Arabia’s purported “sportswashing,” the kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal said: “People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years.

Persons: Hilal, Kylian Mbappé, Germain, Neymar Jr, Ballon d’Or, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nassr, Patricia de Melo Moreira, it’s, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman –, Leon Neal, Ballon, Karim Benzema, Al Hilal, spender, –, Carlo Nohra, Jordan Henderson, Henderson, “, ’ ” Simon Chadwick, “ We’ve, ” Chadwick, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Al Nassr, Stringer, you’re, Kieran Maguire, they’re, Everybody’s, ” Maguire, Chadwick, Ronaldo, Maguire, … Mohammed bin Salman, ” James Dorsey, ”, Chadwick –, Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al, Faisal, don’t, they’ve, LIV Golf, Jimmy Dunne, LIV, Dunne, Aleksander Ceferin, Erling, Haaland, Jurgen Klopp, Michael Emenalo, Steven Gerrard, Nohra, ” “ They’ve Organizations: CNN, Saudi, Al, Paris Saint, PSG, Saudi Pro League, Ligue, Liga, Serie, Bundesliga, English Premier League, Deloitte, Investment Fund, AFP, Getty, SPL, Saudi Crown, Spanish, Arsenal, CNN Sport, English, Newcastle United, Liverpool, The Athletic, SKEMA Business School, Argentina, Zamalek, King Fahd Sports City, Anadolu Agency, Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Football, AFC Asian, FIFA, Greece, Royal Spanish Football Federation, Spanish Super, ”, Amnesty International, Amnesty, Middle East Soccer, Saudi Ministry, Sport, PGA Tour, European, UEFA, Premier League, Ettifaq Media, Reuters New Saudi Pro League, Major League Soccer, La Liga, Peterson Institute for International Economics, Russian Direct Investment Fund, Investigations, PGA Locations: Saudi Arabian, Brazil, Saudi, Ittihad, Al, Ahli, Real Madrid, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Liverpool, China, Qatar, Taif, Egypt, Spanish, East, North Africa, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Bahrain, Syria, “, ”, Europe, ” Liverpool

☆ 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

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

☆ Tesla, Saudi Arabia in early talks for EV factory - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The logo of car manufacturer Tesla is seen at a dealership in London, Britain, May 14, 2021. One of the proposals the kingdom is considering involves extending financing to commodities trader Trafigura for a flailing Congo cobalt and copper project, which could help provide a Tesla factory with supplies, the WSJ report said. Tesla did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund, the Public Investment Fund, declined to comment. Musk said in May Tesla would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of 2023. Tesla has a goal to sell 20 million vehicles a year by 2030, up from around 1.3 million in 2022.

Persons: Matthew Childs, Tayyip Erdogan, Tesla, Elon Musk, Benjamin Netanyahu, Musk, Samrhitha Arunasalam, Arpan Varghese, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Tesla, Wall Street, Democratic, Lucid, Public Investment Fund, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, California, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Saudi, Mexico, Nuevo Leon, Bengaluru, Rachna, Dubai

Legendary golfer Gary Player thinks government and sports shouldn't mix, as the golf world goes through a major merger that has triggered antitrust concerns. He was an ambassador for Golf Saudi, an organization pushing to make the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia a more prominent force in the sport. Player also said he supports the proposed merger between Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, which has drawn criticism and scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers, not to mention golfers. (Previously, Player has spoken out against players leaving the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, saying it's for "guys that can't win one the regular tour any more.") Last week, a U.S. Senate subcommittee held its second hearing on the proposed merger.

Persons: Gary Player, We've, LIV Golf, Connecticut Sen, Richard Blumenthal Organizations: CNBC, Golf Saudi, Aramco, PGA Tour, U.S, Connecticut, Democratic, Saudi Public Investment Fund, soccer team Locations: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ Ambani’s retail backers dispel only a little doubt
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Shritama Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Asia’s richest man is raising fresh funds to trim debt and expand the shopping unit of his flagship Reliance Industries (RELI.NS). Ambit Capital, a broking firm, for example ascribes Reliance Retail a $57 billion valuation in a sum of the parts analysis, almost half Bernstein’s estimated $111 billion. Any financial haze around Reliance Retail will naturally clear whenever it publishes a detailed listing prospectus. U.S. private equity giant KKR will invest 20.7 billion rupees ($250 million) into Reliance Retail Ventures, the company’s parent Reliance Industries said on Sept. 11. Reliance Retail is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

Persons: Mukesh Ambani, Thakore, Singapore’s GIC, Bernstein, Una Galani, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Reliance Industries, KKR, Abraham, Qatar Investment, U.S, Reliance Retail, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Reliance, HK, India’s Reliance Industries, Reliance Retail Ventures, Thomson Locations: MUMBAI, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, China, Singapore, Saudi Arabia

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

☆ US Senate issues subpoena to PIF subsidiary regarding PGA Tour deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | 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 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate has issued a subpoena to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund's (PIF) U.S. subsidiary over its planned partnership with the PGA Tour, it said on Wednesday. The subpoena calls for the release of documents related to PIF's framework agreement with the PGA Tour and other investments throughout the United States, the U.S. Senate said in a news release. The announcement came ahead of Wednesday's hearing by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), which is expected to focus on PIF's investments and efforts to gain influence in the United States. "The Saudi's Public Investment Fund cannot have it both ways - if it wants to engage with the United States commercially, it must be subject to United States law and oversight," Senator Richard Blumenthal, chair of the PSI, said.

Persons: LIV, Nick Lachance, Richard Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Greg Norman, LIV Golf, Yasir al, Jamal Khashoggi, Frank Pingue, David Holmes Organizations: Tour, Canadian, PGA Tour, Oakdale, Country Club, REUTERS, U.S . Senate, Saudi Arabian Public Investment, PGA, Investigations, Public Investment, United, Senate, Saudi, LIV Golf, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Toronto , Ontario, Canada, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, Toronto

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

Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-CT, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the January 6th insurrection, in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 2, 2021. WASHINGTON — Bipartisan members of a Senate subcommittee on homeland security demanded transparency Wednesday from a Saudi Arabian investment fund at its second hearing on the controversial deal to merge PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf. "Saudi Arabia's bid to buy professional golf in America is not just one investment in a vacuum," Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said on Capitol Hill. Blumenthal announced that he had issued a subpoena on Wednesday to USSA International LLC, the PIF's wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary, for documents related to the PGA Tour-LIV Golf deal and other U.S. investments. A PGA Tour representative declined to comment.

Persons: Richard Blumenthal, LIV Golf, Sen, Conn, Blumenthal, LIV, Benjamin Freeman, Joey Shea, LIV didn't Organizations: WASHINGTON, Saudi, Investigations, Capitol, USSA, PGA, Quincy Institute, Responsible, United, Human Rights Watch Locations: Hart, Washington , DC, Saudi Arabian, Saudi, America, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, United States, United Arab Emirates

The surprise deal, which would join the venerable PGA Tour and a rival Saudi-funded golf start-up, LIV, was announced in June. The Saudi sovereign wealth fund, called the Public Investment Fund, or PIF, is controlled by the Saudi government. The Saudi Embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the subpoena, which names the Public Investment Fund's New York-based U.S. subsidiary, USSA International. This summer's announcement of the PGA-Saudi golf deal ended a legal battle between the two rivals. Blumenthal said available public records indicate the Saudi sovereign wealth fund has expanded its investments in the United States from $2 billion in 2018 to $35 billion now.

Persons: Sen, Richard Blumenthal's, al, LIV, ” Blumenthal, Blumenthal, “, ”, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Organizations: WASHINGTON, Saudi, PGA, Connecticut, Senate, PGA Tour, Public Investment Fund, Public Investment, United, Saudi Embassy, USSA, Crown Locations: United States, Saudi, York, San Francisco, Saudi Arabia

The private equity firm's follow-on investment translates into an additional equity stake of 0.25% in Reliance Retail on a fully-diluted basis, taking KKR's total equity stake in the Indian company to 1.42%, the retailer said in a statement on Monday. That year, KKR had invested 55.5 billion rupees ($669.65 million) in Reliance Retail. Morgan Stanley acted as financial adviser to Reliance Retail. Ambani said in 2019 that the group planned to list the retail business in five years. 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: Maggi, Niharika Kulkarni, Mukesh Ambani's, Jimmy Choo, Spencer, Pret, Ambani, Morgan Stanley, Aditya Kalra, Toby Chopra, Tomasz Janowski, Deepa Babington Organizations: REUTERS, KKR, Co Inc, Retail Ventures, Reliance, Reliance Retail, Saudi Public Investment Fund, General Atlantic, United Arab, Asian, IV, Reuters, Qatar Investment Authority, Unilever, Thomson Locations: Mumbai, India, DELHI, United Arab Emirates

"I will match your offer and commit today to open an office," Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih said after India's trade minister Piyush Goyal invited Saudi Arabia to set up an office of its sovereign wealth fund, Public Investment Fund (PIF), in GIFT City. Goyal also said he would suggest that his ministry starts an investment promotion office in Riyadh. During the Crown Prince's visit India and Saudi Arabia signed 50 initial pacts in various fields and agreed to form a joint task force for $100 billion in Saudi investment in India, originally announced by the Crown Prince in 2019. Half of the planned $100 billion is earmarked for a delayed refinery project along India's western coast, an Indian foreign ministry official said. He said Saudi Arabia is looking to invest in sectors including oil, gas, petrochemicals, new energy, technology, manufacturing and defence.

Persons: Amit Dave, Narendra Modi, Khalid Al Falih, Piyush Goyal, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Goyal, Crown Prince, Falih, Shivangi Acharya, Nidhi Verma, Blassy Boben, Ed Osmond, Susan Fenton Organizations: Gujarat International Finance Tec, REUTERS, Indian, Saudi Investment, Public Investment Fund, Crown, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Aramco, Thomson Locations: Gujarat, Gandhinagar, DELHI, Saudi Arabia, New Delhi, Dubai, Hong Kong, City, Falih, Delhi, Saudi, Riyadh, India, Indian, Maharashtra

☆ US, Saudi Arabia in talks to secure metals in Africa, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

VinFast electric vehicles are parked before delivery to their first customers at a store in Los Angeles, March 1, 2023. The United States and Saudi Arabia are in talks to secure metals in Africa needed to help them with their energy transitions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing people with knowledge of the talks. In a similar arrangement in July, Saudi Arabian Mining Co (Ma'aden) (1211.SE) and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired 10% of Brazilian Vale's base metal unit, while U.S. investment firm Engine No. The White House is seeking the financial backing of other sovereign-wealth funds in the region, but talks with Saudi Arabia have progressed the farthest, the Journal added. The Saudi government and The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: PIF, Ma'aden Organizations: Wall Street, Democratic, Saudi Arabian Mining, Saudi Public Investment Fund, Manara Minerals, Saudi Locations: Los Angeles, United States, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Saudi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Namibia, U.S, China, Brazilian, Congo

☆ Saudi Arabia is spending billions on sports, tech and everything in between for a post-oil world
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Saudi Arabia sparked international outrage in 2018 after Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and continues to face accusations of human rights violations. Despite this, little has been able to stop Saudi Arabia from exerting more and more influence on the global stage. GettyImages/Unsplash/NeomLike many countries, Saudi Arabia's economy suffered when the pandemic struck in 2020, but the only way has been up since then. Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty ImagesBoth at home and far away, Saudi Arabia hasn't shied away from investing boatloads of cash. The total hit 32.2 million in May with a median age of 29, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Statistics.

Persons: Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Jamal Khashoggi, It's, Ahmed Jadallah, Saudi Arabia's, Sergio Garcia, Chris Trotman, LIV, Saudi Arabia hasn't, Yasir Al, Jasmin Merdan, Abdullah Al, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman al, Saud, JOE KLAMAR Organizations: Service, Washington Post, Bank, IMF, REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, King, King Abdullah Economic City, Getty, Public Investment Fund, MBS, Newcastle United, LIV, PGA, Saudi, Reuters, Saudi Arabia's, Authority, Statistics, Gulf States Energy, United Arab Emirates, Arab League Locations: Saudi Arabia, Wall, Silicon, Gulf, Saudi, Istanbul, Gulf Kingdom, Ahmed Jadallah Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah, Jasmin Merdan Saudi's, Riyadh, Arab, Vienna, AFP, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar

Some deal makers wonder whether tennis, which has already confirmed initial talks with Saudi Arabia, will be the fund’s next target. “Of all the important sports around the world, I think tennis is clearly the one with the greatest opportunity for financial growth and the most unrealized value,” Maria Sharapova, the retired tennis star, told DealBook. Despite the popularity of tennis, the sport brings in only 1.3 percent of earnings from global media sports rights. That’s partly because tennis is made up of myriad entities — including the Women’s Tennis Association; the U.S. Tennis Association; and independent tournaments. The independently operated organizations make scheduling tournaments difficult and diminish bargaining power for sponsorship and media deals.

Persons: Novak Djokovic, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, ” Maria Sharapova, DealBook Organizations: U.S, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Women’s Tennis Association, U.S . Tennis Association Locations: Saudi Arabia, U.S

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

FILE PHOTO: An Aramco employee walks near an oil tank at Saudi Aramco's Ras Tanura oil refinery and oil terminal in Saudi Arabia May 21, 2018. Riyadh says it aims to stabilise the oil market by extending a voluntary oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day until the end of 2023. Declining oil production and revenue this year could see Saudi Arabia's economy shrink for the first time since 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, although a hefty dividend from state oil producer Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) should provide a cushion for public finances. Last year the Saudi economy grew 8.7% and generated a fiscal surplus of 2.5% of GDP, its first surplus in nine years as oil soared to highs near $124. "Certainly, we see no signs that the Public Investment Fund's acquisition streak is cooling," RBC Capital Markets said in a note.

Persons: Ahmed Jadallah, Justin Alexander, Monica Malik, Alexander, James Swanston, PIF, Neil Quilliam, Quilliam, Rachna Uppal, Yousef Saba, Ahmad Ghaddar, Susan Fenton Organizations: REUTERS, Saudi Aramco, OPEC's, Khalij Economics, Abu, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, PMI, GlobalSource Partners, Capital Economics, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Public Investment Fund, Saudi, Public Investment, RBC Capital Markets, Reuters, Chatham House, Aramco, Riyadh bourse, Thomson Locations: Aramco, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, DUBAI, Riyadh, Ukraine, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Aramco, London, PIF

☆ Saudi Arabia soccer spending ranks second in the world as it bids to become global powerhouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Matthew Ward-Perkins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowThe Saudi Arabian soccer transfer window has slammed shut, marking the end of a historic summer of spending from clubs based in the Gulf state. Saudi clubs outspent four of the "big five" soccer leagues, the first time another league has outspent any members of the dominant European grouping since 2016. However, human rights groups and activists have criticized the high levels of soccer investment from Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, with accusations of "sportswashing" leveled at the country. The European Club Association, which represents 220 soccer clubs from across Europe, discussed the impact of Saudi Arabia's investment in the sport at its General Assembly this month. "We believe in ourselves … we have the best competition in the world, the biggest clubs in the world, the best players in the world.

Persons: Mohamed Salah, Hilal, spender, CNBC's David Faber, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Glazer, Nasser Al, Khelaifi, Karim Benzema Organizations: Saudi Arabia's Pro League, English Premier League, Liverpool, country's Public Investment Fund, Chelsea FC outspent, Public Investment, Manchester United Saudi, Manchester United, Saudi, European Club Association, Assembly, Champions League, Afp, Getty Locations: Saudi, Gulf, Al, Ittihad, Ahli, Hilal, Saudi Arabia, Europe

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