RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index increased by 0.84 percent or 99.42 points to reach 11,948.79 points on Monday. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.9 billion ($1.3 billion), as 111 of the listed stocks advanced, while 117 retreated. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index also increased by 15.52 points, or 1.05 percent, to close at 1,500.07. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu dropped, losing 285.18 points, or 0.91 percent, to close at 30,953.11 points. This comes as 32 of the listed stocks advanced while 51 retreated. 

The main index’s top performer, Zamil Industrial Investment Co., saw a 4.31 percent increase in its share price to close at SR33.90. 

Other top performers included Saudi Reinsurance Co., which saw a 4.20 percent increase to reach SR47.15, while the Mediterranean and Gulf Insurance and Reinsurance Co.’s share price rose by 4.16 percent to SR23.52. 

Red Sea International Co. also recorded a positive trajectory, with share prices rising 3.89 percent to reach SR56.10. 

Kingdom Holding Co. also witnessed positive gains, with 3.75 percent reaching SR9.13. 

National Co. for Learning and Education was TASI’s worst performer, with the firm’s share price dropping by 3.94 percent to SR204.60. 

Aldrees Petroleum and Transport Services Co. followed with a 3.84 percent drop to SR120.20. Riyadh Cement Co. also saw a notable drop of 3.61 percent to settle at SR32.05. 

Walaa Cooperative Insurance Co. and MBC Group Co. were among the top five poorest performers, with shares declining by 3.52 percent to settle at SR17.56 and by 3.17 percent to sit at SR54.90, respectively. 

On the announcement’s front, Almujtama Alraida Medical Co. disclosed that Khabeer Althanyia Investment Co. — a major shareholder — has announced its intention to distribute and deposit its 630,673 shares in Almujtama Alraida, representing 6.64 percent of the company’s capital, into the investment portfolios of its current partners. 

The move, according to a filing on Tadawul, will result in changes to the list of the company’s major shareholders. 

Almujtama Alraida Medical Co.’s share price dropped 2.91 percent on Monday to settle at SR30.05. 

Najran Cement Co. announced that its shareholders approved the transfer of SR163.62 million from its statutory reserve, as reported in its financial statements for the year ending Dec. 31, 2023, to its retained earnings balance of SR138.15 million. 

The decision was made during the company’s extraordinary general meeting held on Dec. 22, according to a statement on Tadawul. 

Shareholders also approved the repurchase of up to 17 million shares to be held as treasury shares, citing the board’s view that the company’s stock is trading below its fair value. 

The share buyback will be financed through the firm’s resources, including cash balances or credit facilities, with the board authorized to complete the process within 12 months of the meeting date. 

The repurchased shares can be retained for a maximum of 10 years, after which the company will comply with applicable laws and regulations, the statement said. 

Najran Cement Co.’s share price saw a 1.22 percent dip on Monday to close at SR8.92.

JEDDAH: The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. has received two new jack-up rigs, reinforcing its position as one of the largest drillship fleet owners globally.

ADNOC Drilling will launch the new rigs by the first quarter of next year, expanding its fleet to 142 platforms. This marks a strong year for the company, showcasing its performance and strategy, according to UAE state news agency WAM.

For over 50 years, ADNOC Drilling has been the exclusive provider of drilling and rig-related services to ADNOC Group under agreed contractual terms, supporting the firm’s upstream operations in exploring and developing oil and gas resources in the UAE.

With most of the Gulf country’s crude oil and gas reserves located in Abu Dhabi, ADNOC oversees the majority of nationwide exploration, appraisal, development, and production activities, which are managed by ADNOC, either independently or in partnership with third parties.

In its analysis of the company’s performance, JPMorgan, a global financial services firm, said: “Since its initial public offering, ADNOC Drilling has proven to be a high-quality, defensive business, consistently meeting and surpassing guidance and expectations. The exceptional performance also reflects positive progress with ADNOC Drilling’s two joint ventures.”

The UAE possesses the sixth-largest crude oil reserves globally, with approximately 107 billion stock tank barrels of proven oil reserves. Since its inception in 1972, ADNOC Drilling has played a crucial role in enabling ADNOC to unlock the country’s oil and gas resources efficiently and reliably, contributing to the nation’s energy sector.

This year, Enersol, a joint venture between Alpha Dhabi Holding and ADNOC Drilling, acquired four oilfield services technology companies, while Turnwell, another business partnership between ADNOC, SLB, and Patterson-UTI, set a record for initial well delivery time, accelerating the development of the UAE’s unconventional energy reserves.

Following its second upward guidance revision this year alongside its third-quarter results, ADNOC Drilling is on track to deliver its best-ever performance in Q4. ADNOC Drilling anticipates at least mid-single-digit expansion as it scales operations, according to WAM.

ADNOC forecasts a rise in drilling activity in the coming years, driven by its commitment to increasing crude oil production capacity by 25 percent, reaching five million barrels per day by 2027.

As the company looks to expand beyond the UAE and explore opportunities in the region, it foresees a growing need to expand its rig fleet to support its strategic growth plans.

The energy giant believes that expanding its rig fleet will enhance its current capabilities in rig hire, drilling, completion services, and associated operations and enable the company to offer unconventional drilling and biogenic well services. This expansion is expected to contribute to increased revenue and profitability.