RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has invested $200 million in the newly launched SPDR J.P. Morgan Saudi Arabia Aggregate Bond UCITS exchange-traded fund. 

In a press release, State Street Global Advisers, the US-based asset manager behind the ETF, called it the first fixed-income UCITS ETF focused on the Kingdom to launch in Europe.

This move comes as global investors look to capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s growing bond market, supported by economic and infrastructure developments under Vision 2030. 

The ETF launch further underscores PIF’s strategy to enhance international access to Saudi Arabia’s diversified market and attract foreign investment. PIF’s portfolio also includes investments in ETFs listed in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Tokyo. 

“PIF’s investment into the first internationally listed fixed-income Saudi ETF further deepens the Saudi market, while attracting investors and strengthening cross-geography partnerships, increasing international investment in Saudi Arabia,” said Yazeed Al-Humied, deputy governor and head of Middle East and North Africe Investments at PIF. 

Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities, or UCITS, are EU regulations that establish a standardized framework for investment funds marketed and sold to investors within the economic bloc.

Listed on the London Stock Exchange and Deutsche Börse’s Xetra in Frankfurt, the new fund tracks the J.P. Morgan Saudi Arabia Aggregate Index. This index provides exposure to the Kingdom’s financial instruments, including liquid dollar- and SR-denominated government and quasi-government bonds, as well as sukuk bonds. 

“We are delighted to see such significant early-stage commitment from PIF into the SPDR J.P. Morgan Saudi Arabia Aggregate Bond UCITS ETF, a first of its kind in the industry. The creation of this fund sprung from our ambition to provide investors a compelling and innovative opportunity,” said Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO of State Street Global Advisers. 

The ETF is accessible to investors in several European countries, including Austria, Denmark, and Finland, as well as France, Germany, and Italy. It is also available in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway, as well as Spain, Sweden, and the UK. 

State Street Global Advisers, the asset management business of State Street Corp., has served governments, institutions, and financial advisers for over four decades, managing $4.73 trillion in assets.
 
The SPDR ETF range spans international and domestic asset classes, providing investors with flexible options aligned to diverse strategies. 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has retained its position as the top destination for venture capital funding in the Middle East and North Africa region, raising $750 million in 2024, according to a new report.  

This marks the second consecutive year the Kingdom has topped the regional VC rankings.  

Data from regional venture platform MAGNiTT showed that Saudi Arabia accounted for 40 percent of the total VC capital deployed in MENA in 2024, with a 16 percent year-on-year increase in deal flow.  

The Kingdom closed 178 deals, the most of any MENA nation, reflecting strong investor confidence and a thriving startup ecosystem. 

The largest deal in the region was secured by Saudi-based e-commerce enablement platform Salla, which raised $130 million. 

The UAE ranked second in regional funding with $613 million raised, while leading in deal volume with 188 transactions and 12 exits.  

Emerging venture markets snapshot  

MENA startups collectively raised $1.9 billion in 2024, reflecting a 29 percent decline compared to 2023.   

Despite the drop, MAGNiTT noted that “funding levels in 2024 were still higher than 2020 levels, prior to the 2021 and 2022 boom years, signaling continued growth in the venture space.”  

The Middle East accounted for $1.5 billion of the funding, spread across 461 deals — a 10 percent annual increase. Total investor participation in the region grew by 14 percent, reaching 392 investors, while exits totaled 24.  

Venture capital performance in emerging venture markets — which include the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Pakistan, and Turkiye — slowed significantly in 2024.   

Total VC funding in these regions fell by 40 percent, with deal volumes dropping 20 percent compared to 2023. Both metrics also dipped below 2020 levels.  

Southeast Asia led among EVMs with $5.6 billion raised across 564 deals, while Africa recorded the weakest performance, raising $1.07 billion through 294 deals.  

Mega deals and early-stage activity  

Global VC trends, such as reduced late-stage funding, were reflected in EVMs. Mega deals — valued at $100 million or more — declined for the third consecutive year, falling 56 percent compared to 2023.   

The first quarter of 2024 saw the lowest mega deal funding since the fourth quarter of 2019, with late-stage investments hardest hit.  

However, early-stage activity showed resilience. The focus on seed and pre-series A funding increased, with $1 million to $5 million ticket sizes rising by 5 percentage points year on year.  

According to MAGNiTT, this emphasis on early-stage investments is critical for sustaining future deal flow growth.  

Philip Bahoshy, CEO of MAGNiTT, highlighted a potential recovery in the venture market. “In 2024, we witnessed a decline in funding across EVMs driven by reduced late-stage investment activity. However, the positive development is that 2024 also saw a gradual decline in interest rates, both in mature markets like the US and Emerging Markets,” he said.  

“We anticipate these rate cuts to begin boosting capital availability within the next 6-9 months, paving the way for a stronger funding environment in 2025,” Bahoshy added.  

The Middle East increased its share of deal transactions across EVMs to 35 percent in 2024, an 8-percentage-point rise.   

Southeast Asia captured the largest share at 43 percent, while Africa’s share dropped to its lowest level in five years, at 22 percent.