
Saudi's Dar Al Arkan consortium snaps up $2bln Jeddah property in auction
Saudi-based Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company has announced that it has acquired a real estate property worth SAR4.46 billion ($1.18 billion) in Jeddah at a major auction in alliance with Kenzi Al Arabiya Company and a group of investors.
The auction, one of the largest real estate auctions held in Saudi Arabia this year, was for Orchid land located in Jeddah spanning one million sq m area, said Dar Al Arkan in its filing to Saudi bourse tadawul.
The consortium acquired the land in the largest real estate auction in Saudi Arabia for the year 2025, marketed by Itqan Real Estate Company.
On the financial impact, Dar Ar Arkan said it is likely to have a positive financial impact on its revenues during the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 and the years thereafter.
The largest developer by market value in Saudi Arabia, Dar Al Arkan's main activity is land development, namely purchasing and developing infrastructure on raw land parcels.
It also master-plans residential projects and commercial schemes in addition to providing construction, maintenance and demolition services as well as restructuring of residential and commercial buildings.- TradeArabia News Service
Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Arabian Post
10 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Afreximbank downgrade dispute raises questions on loan categorisation
African Union's African Peer Review Mechanism has challenged Fitch Ratings' downgrade of the African Export‑Import Bank, arguing the move rests on a misinterpretation of its sovereign loan portfolio. On 4 June, Fitch lowered Afreximbank's long‑term foreign‑currency issuer rating from BBB to BBB‑—a notch above junk—with a negative outlook. The agency attributed the downgrade to elevated credit risk, citing an estimated non‑performing loan ratio of 7.1 %, primarily due to sovereign exposures to Ghana, South Sudan and Zambia classified as NPLs. The APRM asserts that Fitch's classification is flawed and inconsistent with Afreximbank's own disclosure of an NPL ratio of 2.44 % as of end‑March. The AU‑established body emphasises the bank's status as a multilateral lender created under a 1993 treaty, which binds member governments—including Ghana and Zambia—as signatories, shareholders and founding members. APRM contends such loans are grounded in intergovernmental cooperation rather than standard commercial terms, so treating them as NPLs misrepresents their nature. Fitch defended its methodology, stating that its supranational rating decisions adhere to globally consistent and publicly available criteria, and highlighting that their analysis clearly identified rating drivers and sensitivities. The agency maintains sovereign exposures showing delayed repayments meet its threshold for classification as non‑performing, irrespective of legal structures or treaties. In that sense, the downgrade aligns with accepted analytical standards. ADVERTISEMENT APRM's critique zeroes in on that threshold. It argues that sovereign repayment negotiations are routine diplomatic engagements, not signs of default. It remains concerned that Fitch's decision conflates financial dialogue with credit impairment. The body has formally called on Fitch, Afreximbank and other African institutions to convene technical consultations and reassess the rating, emphasising the importance of contextually intelligent credit assessments. Beyond the immediate dispute, this episode resonates with a broader continental debate over the relevance and fairness of global credit‑rating frameworks applied to African multilaterals. Africa's longstanding concerns that Western rating methodologies fail to grasp local realities and may unfairly inflate borrowing costs have sparked momentum for alternative mechanisms. Among these, an Africa‑led credit‑rating agency is under development, envisaged to begin operations by September 2025, aimed at providing sovereign ratings that reflect regional economic and institutional contexts. Central to the debate is Afreximbank's evolving lending strategy. Under outgoing president Benedict Okey Oramah, the Cairo‑based lender has aggressively expanded its footprint, increasingly financing private sector projects across the continent and taking calculated sovereign exposure. Supporting growth in under‑served markets like Zimbabwe and Nigeria, the bank grew its asset base from around US$7 billion in 2015 to approximately US$40 billion in 2024, with deposits rising to US$37 billion. That growth has attracted scrutiny. Fitch has highlighted what it sees as elevated concentration of corporate and sovereign risk, pointing to an NPL ratio that exceeds its internal threshold. Observers note that up to 92 % of Afreximbank's lending is directed at commercial businesses, and certain sovereign loans carry interest rates as high as 6.875 % over benchmark rates—much higher than traditional development finance institutions. Proponents of the APRM's position, including lead credit‑ratings expert Misheck Mutize, argue that supplementary indicators such as capital adequacy, collateral density and profitability should carry mitigating weight. Mutize points to a strong equity ratio of 19 %, risk‑weighted capital at 21 %, internal capital generation through profits, and loan collateral cover for 84 % of the portfolio. These factors, he suggests, are downplayed in the rating downgrade despite being explicitly acknowledged in Fitch's own analytic framework. He warns that over‑reliance on contested NPL figures can breach the methodology's balance principles. ADVERTISEMENT Not everyone supports APRM's framing. Analysts note that countries like Zambia officially halted repayments to Afreximbank in 2021, and South Sudan failed to honour its obligations, prompting legal recourse in London. Zambia's treasury has openly stated its debt will be restructured. Against this backdrop, Fitch's interpretation that certain sovereign debt has become non‑performing appears defensible under global standards. This dispute underscores a tension: Afreximbank's assertive growth strategy has boosted its developmental reach and institutional clout, yet it must reconcile that dynamism with risk and transparency expectations imposed by global credit agencies. With Oramah set to step down later this month, the new president will face a pivotal choice: maintain aggressive expansion as the bank charts an independent path, or recalibrate operations to conform more closely with multilateral development bank norms—a course change that could preserve borrowing benefits but limit growth prerogatives. Beyond institutional implications, the outcome has broader financial consequences. A downgrade to BBB‑ tightens Afreximbank's borrowing costs, heightens the risk premium for countries swayed by its lending, and complicates its mission to finance intra‑continental trade. That may squeeze African exporters and traders relying on the bank's funding. Policy stakeholders are paying attention. The APRM's call for dialogue and transparency signals a pushback against the perceived hold of Western agencies over African financial destiny. Meanwhile, the African Development Bank is developing a Continental Financial Stability Mechanism that may borrow under a regional rating—another step towards financial sovereignty.


Middle East Eye
13 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Bank of America says Saudi Arabia preparing for 'long and shallow' oil price war
Saudi Arabia is batting down the hatches for a "long and shallow' oil price war, in part to clip the wings of US shale energy companies, the Bank of America's top commodities expert said. 'It's not a price war that is going to be short and steep; rather, it's going to be a price war that is long and shallow,' Francisco Blanch, the bank's head of commodities research, told Bloomberg in an interview on Monday. Saudi Arabia led an alliance of energy producers dubbed Opec+ in April to boost supply. The decision was a U-turn for Saudi Arabia, which for years had pushed Opec+ to cut production in a bid to lift energy prices. Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman went so far as to warn market speculators that they would be 'ouching like hell' if they doubted his willingness to starve the oil market of supply. However, energy analysts had been warning for more than a year that Saudi Arabia was in an untenable position. The kingdom was doing the heavy lifting to keep supplies low, while other countries were benefiting from higher prices. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Saudi Arabia has also surrendered market share in Asia to Iran and Russia. 'They've (Saudi Arabia) done this price support already by themselves for three-plus years,' Blanch said. 'They're done with that.' The United Arab Emirates won concessions to lift its production quotas in recent years. Abu Dhabi wants to pump more of its oil faster, with an eye towards a time in the future when energy demand peaks. Why Saudi Arabia can spend more money than it makes, even as oil prices drop Read More » In April, energy analysts also said Saudi Arabia's decision to boost output was taking aim at Iraq and Kazakhstan, two Opec+ members who were exceeding their Opec+ production quotas. Because Saudi Arabia is richer and is able to quickly extract oil, analysts say it can endure a prolonged slump better than poorer Opec+ members. The Bank of America's analysis points to another target: the United States. The US has become energy independent thanks to a boom in shale oil production over the last 15 years. The US is not a member of Opec, and American production has surged. Oil and gas production in the US hit a record high in December 2025. Saudi Arabia has been issuing a historic amount of debt to make up for budget shortfalls caused by lower oil prices. The kingdom is already scaling back mega-projects like Neom and tightening its purse strings on consulting firms that have raked up a windfall advising on Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 agenda to remake Saudi Arabia's economy. The worst-case scenario for Saudi Arabia is that oil prices spiral further down, risking a price war like the one that erupted in 2020 between Russia and the kingdom during the coronavirus pandemic.


Channel Post MEA
18 hours ago
- Channel Post MEA
Wipro Establishes Its Middle East Regional Headquarters In Riyadh
Wipro Limited has announced the relocation of its Middle East regional headquarters from Al Khobar to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The new office in Riyadh was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by the Wipro executive team, employees, and customers. This is the latest addition to Wipro's growing presence in the region, which includes offices in Riyadh, Al Khobar, Jeddah, and Jubail. 'The inauguration of Wipro's new regional headquarters in Riyadh marks a significant milestone that contributes to accelerating the growth of the Kingdom's digital economy,' said Mohammed AlRobayan, Deputy Minister for Technology at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT). 'This also underscores the attractiveness of Saudi Arabia's digital business environment. We value the company's investment in developing national competencies, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 and enhancing the Kingdom's position as a global technology hub.' In addition to this new office opening, Wipro recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University (PMU) to establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) in Riyadh. This partnership aims to upskill local talent by providing academic training in advanced technologies, hands-on experience, and access to Wipro's resources. The CoE will focus on equipping young Saudi nationals with future-ready skills, creating a talent pool that can add value to organizations and the kingdom. 'The establishment of our new regional headquarters in Riyadh reaffirms our commitment to supporting the dynamic business landscape in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,' said Vinay Firake, CEO – Asia Pacific, India, Middle East & Africa (APMEA), Wipro Limited. 'This strategic move, combined with our ongoing involvement in supporting the goals of the Kingdom, aligns with our vision of driving sustained growth and a future-ready workforce in the region. This commitment is strengthened by the recent appointment of Mohamed Mousa as our new Managing Director for Wipro Middle East out of our Riyadh headquarters, which will further advance our decades-long presence in the Middle East.'