RIYADH: The region’s first-of-its-kind residential mortgage-backed securities will be available in Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom seeks to enhance liquidity and expand investment opportunities in the real estate finance sector. 

A memorandum of understanding, signed between the Saudi Real Estate Refinance Co., a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund, and Hassana Investment Co., seeks to diversify Saudi Arabia’s financial markets by introducing an innovative asset class. 

The issuance of mortgage-backed securities is anticipated to attract a wide base of local and global investors to the secondary mortgage market, creating new opportunities for investment in the sector. 

Majeed Al-Abduljabbar, CEO of SRC, said: “Our partnership with Hassana marks a significant milestone in supporting the evolution of the housing finance landscape and fostering the development of Saudi Arabia’s capital markets.” 

He added: “Together, we aim to introduce innovative financial solutions that deliver value to both investors and citizens while aligning with Vision 2030’s objectives.” 

The deal, signed in the presence of Majid Al-Hogail, minister of municipalities and housing, and Mohammed Al-Jadaan, minister of finance, aligns with the Housing Program and Financial Sector Development Program under Vision 2030. 

“This collaboration establishes a new standard for partnerships, enabling the development of scalable financial solutions that contribute to the Kingdom’s economic development goals. It aligns with Hassana’s strategy of diversifying its investment portfolios through long-term partnerships with entities like SRC,” said Saad Al-Fadhli, CEO of Hassana. 

Hassana’s participation as a key institutional investor underscores the potential to create sustainable economic investment opportunities. 

This comes as the Kingdom’s real estate market continues to show strong demand, with annual growth in residential sales transaction volumes across major metropolitan areas. 

Saudi banks’ mortgage lending hit a near three-year high of SR10.06 billion ($2.7 billion) in November, marking a 51.23 percent year-on-year increase and the highest monthly amount in over two years, according to data from the Kingdom’s central bank.

This surge reflects strong activity in the housing market, with houses accounting for 65 percent of the loans, followed by apartments at 31 percent and land purchases at 4 percent. 

As part of its Vision 2030 agenda, the Kingdom is fast-tracking residential construction, particularly in Riyadh, to accommodate its growing population and attract international talent.

ISTANBUL: Turkiye’s manufacturing sector contracted at the slowest rate in eight months in December, a business survey showed on Thursday, in a sign that the sector is nearing stabilization.
The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 49.1 last month from 48.3 in November, moving nearer to the 50.0 threshold denoting growth, according to the survey by the Istanbul Chamber of Industry and S&P Global.
“December PMI data provided plenty of hope for the sector in 2025. While business conditions continued to moderate, the latest slowdown was only marginal as signs of improvement were seen in a range of variables across the survey,” said Andrew Harker, Economics Director at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The survey highlighted a softer moderation in production, which declined at the slowest pace in nine months, suggesting some improvement in demand. The rate of slowdown in new orders and purchasing eased, although demand remained subdued.
“If this momentum can be built on at the start of 2025, we could see the sector return to growth. The prospects for the sector should be helped by a much more benign inflationary environment than has been the case in recent years,” Harker said.
Despite the positive signs, employment in the manufacturing sector saw a renewed decline, reversing a rise in November, the survey showed.
Input costs increased sharply due to higher raw material prices, but the rate of output price inflation slowed to its weakest in over five years as some firms offered discounts to boost sales.