SHANGHAI: A new $100 billion international bank dedicated to the emerging BRICS countries has opened in China's commercial hub Shanghai, officials said, as an alternative to other multilateral lenders.
The "New Development Bank", backed by the so-called emerging BRICS nations Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has been viewed as a challenge to Washington-based institutions.
The NDB's website explicitly describes it as an "alternative to the existing US-dominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund" which will address needs for infrastructure and sustainable development.
It comes as Beijing — which is seeking a greater role on the global political stage to mirror its rise to become the world's second-largest economy — is also setting up a separate Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei played down the competitive aspect.
"The NDB will supplement the existing international financial system in a healthy way and explore innovations in governance models," he told the NDB's opening ceremony in Shanghai, as quoted by the Xinhua news agency.
The bank says on its website that it will have authorised capital of $100 billion, with $50 billion paid in initially.
Xinhua quoted bank president K. V. Kamath, formerly a private banker in India, as saying the institution's management was "working on initiation of operations", including "making business policy" and "developing project preparations".
Operations would begin late this year or early in 2016, he added.
The opening comes two weeks after a BRICS summit hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Moscow — which has suffered huge currency fluctuations and struggled to attract investors since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine — sees the bank and a BRICS currency reserve pool as alternative global financial institutions.
At the time of the summit, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a statement that BRICS "illustrates a new polycentric system of international relations" demonstrating the increasing influence of "new centres of power".
The BRICS nations, which represent 40 percent of the world's population, formally agreed to establish the bank at a meeting in Brazil in July last year.
The World Bank said it hopes to work with the newcomer.
"We are committed to working closely with the New Development Bank and other multilateral institutions, offering to share our knowledge and to co-finance infrastructure projects," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said in a statement.
The regionally-focused Asian Development Bank also said it would "look forward" to working with the NDB.
Chinese analysts denied the BRICS bank was aimed at challenging other multilateral agencies.
"It's a complement, instead of a challenge, to existing international institutions," Li Daxiao, chief economist of Yingda Securities, told AFP.
"It can help strengthen the currency markets and maintain a stable financial order through the internal stabilisation of the BRICS countries," he said.
The other new Chinese-based multilateral lender, the AIIB, will be headquartered in Beijing and China will be its biggest shareholder with about 30 percent, according to the legal framework signed late last month by 50 founding member countries.
Major European and Asian economies including Germany, Britain, France and Australia have joined the AIIB, but the US and Japan — the world's largest and third-largest economies, respectively — have declined to do so.
New $100bn BRICS bank opens to challenge US-led lenders
New $100bn BRICS bank opens to challenge US-led lenders
Saudi Arabia’s franchise registrations surge 866% to surpass 1,780
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has witnessed an 866 percent surge in franchise registrations over the past three years, reaching 1,788 by the end of the third quarter of 2024.
The Ministry of Commerce said in a statement that this marks a significant increase from just 185 in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The release added that the accommodation and food services sector, which includes tourism-related businesses, hotels, and restaurants, led registrations with 1,232 entries, followed by the wholesale and retail division with 689 and the transport and storage industry with 257 registrations.
The ministry highlighted that a single enrollment can encompass multiple activities.
Global franchises entered Saudi Arabia in 1970 and have greatly impacted the country’s economic and cultural landscape, according to the Small and Medium Enterprise General Authority, or Monsha’at.
The authority added that over 380 Saudi companies have franchises countrywide and are expanding into other GCC nations.
Monsha’at emphasized that to enhance its business environment, the Kingdom implemented several measures and procedures that empowered international companies to enter the Saudi market and increased investment opportunities for local entrepreneurs to attract the most prominent international services and brands.
This significant growth has been driven by the Franchise Law introduced in October 2019, and its implementing regulations issued a year later. The ordinance established a regulatory framework to strengthen the relationship between franchisors and franchisees, promoting transparency and clarity, thereby encouraging business activities across the Kingdom.
The commerce ministry pointed out that Riyadh topped the list of issued franchise registrations with 647 enrolments, followed by Makkah with 363 and Eastern Province with 225.
The ministry highlighted that the Franchise Center, under Monsha’at, is playing a pivotal role in promoting entrepreneurship by fostering a culture of franchising, providing services, and attracting local and foreign investment, as well as creating new job opportunities in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s ambitious plan for 2030.
The franchise market in the Middle East and Africa is valued at $30 billion, with the Kingdom accounting for approximately 50 percent of that total, according to the organizers of the Saudi Franchise Expo, set to launch in January.
The sector has become one of the fastest-growing parts of Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economy, with an average annual increase of 27 percent.
Vision 2030 propels Saudi Arabia to forefront of global investment, says economy minister
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has established itself as a global growth platform for investments, driven by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 program, which has propelled the expansion of sectors like tourism, a senior minister said.
Speaking at the World Investment Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Al-Ibrahim highlighted that evolving sectors like tourism are playing a crucial role in sustaining the momentum of the Kingdom’s non-oil economy.
The National Tourism Strategy, initially targeting 100 million visitors annually by 2030, surpassed its goal in 2023, prompting the Kingdom to revise its target to 150 million visitors by the decade’s end.
Tourism’s gross domestic product contribution is set to rise from 6 percent to 10 percent, underlining its impact on Saudi Arabia’s economic trajectory.
Al-Ibrahim attributed this progress to deliberate diversification efforts, emphasizing that Vision 2030 has enabled the Kingdom to unlock inherent potential and foster collaborations with private and global partners.
“Saudi Arabia, today is a global growth platform. Maybe actually today, the Kingdom is ‘the’ global growth platform. And, we have been lucky enough to prove the power of diversification over the last few years. Tourism is growing fast, and it is helping Saudi Arabia’s non-oil growth remain steady and high for the past 15 quarters,” said Al-Ibrahim.
He added: “Saudi Vision 2030 is producing results and returns. We are unlocking immense inherent potential everywhere we go.”
Al-Ibrahim also mentioned that they had “a strong and deliberate start with Vision 2030.” He explained that since then, much of what had happened had been built on political will, cascading with various constituents, and collaboration with the private sector. This, he noted, “has led to the momentum we see today.”
Al-Ibrahim also underscored that non-oil activities now constitute 52 percent of Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product, with the Kingdom’s fixed capital formation climbing to 25 percent of GDP, up from less than 12 percent pre-Vision 2030.
According to the minister, Saudi Arabia is connecting people and countries to new markets by offering an investment-friendly environment.
“Saudi Arabia is becoming a more competitive and foundational platform for people who want to access new markets. The Kingdom is playing, not an anchor of stability role, but actually a promoter and driver of stability,” said Al-Ibrahim.
Discussing global cooperation, the minister noted that Saudi Arabia has been invited to join BRICS, but the decision is currently under assessment, with the final outcome to be unveiled in due course.
He added that Saudi Arabia is unique in opening new sectors, such as entertainment, while also strengthening existing industries like energy, defense, and healthcare.
“We have many sectors that existed before, but there is a lot of knowledge that has been accumulated in these sectors. We are moving from traditional hydrocarbon energy to renewables, to carbon removals, to green hydrogen, which requires a lot of innovation and collaboration,” said Al-Ibrahim.
Earlier this month, a report from the Kingdom’s Ministry of Investment highlighted that the entertainment sector is expected to create 450,000 jobs and contribute 4.2 percent of GDP by 2030.
The report also revealed that the entertainment sector is driving growth in tourism, with inbound visitors reaching 6.2 million in 2023, a 153.3 percent increase from the previous year.
IsDB’s efforts
During the same panel discussion, Muhammad Sulaiman Al-Jasser, chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group, emphasized the institution’s efforts to empower its member countries’ growth.
Al-Jasser underscored the importance of basic infrastructure development as a foundation for economic progress, especially among IsDB member nations.
“We at the IsDB are very much concerned about the evolution of our member countries in terms of economic growth and development. We also know that the most basic element of any economic development starts with basic infrastructure,” said Al-Jasser.
He added: “We listen very carefully to our members. We don’t tell them what they need to do. But we listen to them and agree on the activities and strategic projects.”
Al-Jasser stressed the need for strong policy frameworks to attract investors.
“We have to advise our members that predictability of policies and robustness of regulatory frameworks are very important. Because investors have so many options, they will pick and choose. They will cherry-pick,” he added.
Since its inception in 1975, IsDB has financed projects worth over $190 billion across member countries while maintaining a ‘AAA’ credit rating.
In July, Moody’s affirmed the bank’s AAA rating with a stable outlook, citing its strong risk profile, low leverage, and robust liquid assets relative to debt.
Regional perspectives
Speaking at the same panel discussion, Samir Abdelhafidh, Tunisia’s minister of economy and planning, said that the country considers trade and foreign direct investment key potential drivers for economic growth and development.
Abdelhafidh added that Saudi Arabia and Tunisia could potentially collaborate in multiple industries, including renewable energy, transport and logistics, minerals, tourism, and the information technology sector.
For his part, Hassan El-Khatib, Egypt’s minister of investment and foreign trade, said that the country is implementing the right policies to attract foreign direct investment, which will play a crucial role in catalyzing its economic growth.
El-Khatib also invited private companies to invest in Egypt, stating that the country offers clarity and predictability in policies, which could boost investor confidence.
Supply chain reforms, demographic shifts among key investment drivers: Al-Falih
RIYADH: Sustainability, technological disruption, and supply chain decentralization are redefining global investment dynamics, Saudi Arabia’s investment minister said at an event in Riyadh.
Speaking at the 28th World Investment Conference in Riyadh, Khalid Al-Falih noted that while the global economy is recovering from headwinds, challenges such as geopolitical tensions continue to create instability.
Running from Nov. 25 to 27, WIC 2024 is focused on digital transformation and sustainable growth, and unites global leaders to discuss investment policies shaping future economies.
Addressing attendees, Al-Falih said: “There are four major trends that will play a crucial role in shaping the global investment landscape. The first is the importance of investment in sustainability. The second is the unprecedented technological disruption unfolding in front of our own eyes.”
He added: “The third global trend is the steady reconfiguration of the global supply chain, with the decentralization of supply chains creating hubs in emerging regions that offer new opportunities for investments, infrastructure, and new production capacity.”
According to the minister, the fourth global trend is demographics, where entities will invest money where talent is available and consumption is high.
Al-Falih acknowledged both opportunities and challenges for global investment, citing issues such as geopolitical instability and trade barriers but emphasized progress in inflation containment, capital market growth, and consumer confidence restoration.
“We are confronted with crosswinds to global investments — driven forward on one hand by the tech revolution, booming stock markets, and the onset of promising monetary policies, while constrained on the other hand by geopolitical instabilities, trade barriers, and talent and skill shortages,” said Al-Falih.
“Let me remind all of us that investments require sound and deliberate stewardship,” he said.
Saudi Arabia has made strides under Vision 2030, with gross domestic product up 70 percent to $1.1 trillion, with half of that driven by non-oil activities.
Al-Falih said that foreign direct investment flows have tripled, and over 550 international firms have established regional headquarters in the Kingdom, surpassing targets.
This came as the Kingdom offered businesses various incentives if they relocated their Middle East-bases to Riyadh, including a 30-year exemption from corporate income tax and access to discounts and support services.
In November, US-based Morgan Stanley secured approval to establish its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, followed by Citi Group.
The Kingdom also launched the premium residency program to welcome international investors and talented people. “In the last three years alone, 1,200 investors have been awarded these premium residencies, allowing them to be treated as if they are in their own countries,” said Khalid Al-Falih.
Global appreciation
At the conference’s opening ceremony, Nivruti Rai, managing director and CEO of Invest India and president of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies, lauded Saudi Arabia’s diversification efforts.
“Vision 2030 entails growth through technology, growth through greenification, and growth that also enables tourism, including spiritual tourism,” said Rai.
She added: “In 1938, Saudi Arabia discovered oil. I am so happy that today we are dreaming of NEOM, a smart city built on technology. To enable that, the one way — and only way — is to unite and ignite the passion that drives digital transformation and the passion that harnesses sustainability.”
Rai also highlighted the importance of a green future, noting the need for a mix of energy sources to sustain growth.
“We all have to work toward greenification, because the world knows that power is directly proportional to GDP. The input to growth is power,” she said.
Emergence of new markets
James Zhan, chair and executive director of the World Investment Conference, emphasized the transformative trends shaping the global economy.
“We are now witnessing the emergence of new markets, new funding sources, new business models, and new industries. All this offers immense potential for global investment promotion and business facilitation,” said Zhan.
WAIPA’s executive director and CEO, Ismail Ersahin, stressed the significance of WIC in fostering collaboration and actionable outcomes.
“World Investment Conference is not just a place where we share our experiences, but now we are also addressing investors and telling them, ‘Here are the opportunities, so you should participate,’” said Ersahin.
New investment paradigms
In a separate press statement, Ersahin said that WIC 2024 comes at an “important moment in the global economy,” noting that as the international community navigates the nuances of digital transformation and the push for sustainable growth, the event serves as an essential platform for leaders to explore new investment paradigms shaping the future.
He added: “The need for investment promotion agencies to drive economic development and foster foreign direct investment has never been more critical. By bringing together key global stakeholders in international development and investment, we are creating an environment where strategic partnerships and actionable solutions can flourish.”
The conference is hosted by Invest Saudi, the national investment promotion brand overseen by the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority, and focuses on scaling investment opportunities while offering participants practical tools and connections to drive impactful outcomes.
UAE banking sector sees 3.9% growth in deposits
- Aggregate loan-to-deposit ratio decreased by 0.3 percentage points
RIYADH: The UAE banking sector recorded a 3.9 percent quarterly increase in deposits during the third quarter, driven primarily by a 5.6 percent rise in time deposits, according to a recent report. This solid growth in deposits outpaced the 3.5 percent rise in loans and advances over the same period.
Retail borrowing was the key driver behind the loan growth, with retail lending increasing by 4.9 percent quarter on quarter.
However, profitability for the UAE’s leading banks declined, as impairment charges surged by 124.9 percent quarter on quarter, reaching 2.9 billion dirhams ($789.5 million), according to Alvarez & Marsal, a global professional services firm.
This sharp increase in impairments led to a 5.5 percent drop in net income, causing a contraction in return on equity by 223 basis points and a decline in return on assets by 16 basis points.
Asad Ahmed, managing director of financial services at Alvarez & Marsal, warned that the sector faces challenges amid shifting monetary policies and economic conditions.
“While lending growth continues, the sector faces challenges with higher impairment charges and cost efficiencies. The focus on digitalization and strategic cost management will be crucial for sustaining profitability and capital strength in the coming quarters,” Ahmed said.
He added: “As anticipated, the Central Bank of the UAE cut its benchmark interest rate by 50bps in Q3’24 to 4.9 percent, in line with the US Fed. Despite some headwinds, cues from management guidance indicate optimism on lending growth momentum to continue while impairments take a cautious outlook.”
The aggregate loan-to-deposit ratio decreased by 0.3 percentage points quarter on quarter, settling at 75.5 percent, as deposit growth outpaced loan growth.
Despite these challenges, total operating income grew by 3.5 percent quarter on quarter, driven by a 7.4 percent increase in non-interest income and an 11.8 percent rise in other operating income. Net interest income also saw a modest 1.5 percent increase during the same period.
Cost-efficiency metrics worsened during the quarter, with six out of the top 10 banks reporting higher operating expenses. The cost-to-income ratio rose by 99 basis points to 29 percent, as operating expenses increased by 7.1 percent, outpacing the 3.5 percent growth in operating income.
The cost of risk also worsened, rising by 30 basis points quarter on quarter to 0.6 percent. This marked a reversal from the second quarter, when the cost of risk had reached a multi-year low of 0.3 percent.
Total impairments rose significantly to 2.9 billion dirhams in the third quarter, compared to 1.3 billion dirhams in the second quarter.
Despite these challenges, the sector’s overall capital adequacy ratio remained strong at 17.9 percent, reflecting an increase of 0.37 percentage points quarter on quarter.
Investment strategies must align with SDGs to drive sustainable global growth, WIC hears
RIYADH: Investment strategies must be compatible with sustainable development goals to ensure economically viable and environmentally responsible global growth, a top official said at the World Investment Conference.
Speaking on the first day of the Riyad-based event, James Zhan, chair of the WIC executive board, said reforming the global financial system should be a priority alongside helping to deliver social and environmental reform.
The 28th WIC is being held from Nov. 25 to 27, and will see global stakeholders gather to explore investment trends and how best to foster sustainable development.
During a panel discussion titled “Impact Maximization: Leveraging Trade and Investment for Growth and Development,” Zhan said: “We need to embed investment strategies into the SDG implementation plans. We need to transform these international investment regimes into a kind of SDG promotion instrument.”
The SDGs are a set of 17 global objectives established by the UN to address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges, aiming to achieve a sustainable and equitable future by 2030.
Zhan also called for transforming international investment: “We need to be practicing incentives for investment on the ground.”
Ibrahim Al-Mubarak, assistant minister of investment and CEO of the Saudi Investment Promotion Authority, outlined the Kingdom’s focused approach to investment.
“Our investment strategy focuses on quality, FDI. That’s a very big word. So, what I like to call it is smart capital,” he said.
Al-Mubarak also emphasized Saudi Arabia’s reform journey under Vision 2030, saying: “Since the launch of Vision 2030, we have set a very ambitious reform agenda. That reform agenda comes in various ways, be it in the reform of existing laws, launching new laws, removing subsidies.”
These reforms aim to bolster the Kingdom’s investment environment, which has already been recognized as the 16th most competitive economy globally, according to the IMD’s World Competitiveness Index.
Al-Mubarak highlighted the significance of comprehensive and consistent regulatory reforms in enhancing investment appeal.
One measure of this is the success of Saudi Arabia’s Regional Headquarters Program, which came into effect in January and encouraged multinational companies to set up regional offices in Riyadh.
“We already have exceeded our target by having 550 regional headquarters companies here. Our location, our infrastructure, our youth are enabling us to achieve those (goals), but they have to be clubbed with positive, unified, consistent regulatory reform agenda,” Al-Mubarak said.
The assistant minister highlighted that attracting investments requires groundwork, adding: “The promotion piece of investment is one thing, but the attraction is a much tougher one because it requires a lot more reforms and work on the ground, on the infrastructure, on the policies, on the procedures.”
Chairman of the Berlin Global Dialogue and Professor of Economics at the European School of Management and Technology Lars-Hendrik Roller called for a broader perspective on global investments.
“The world is changing, and now I think we need to look eye level (at) Africa and other continents as well,” he said.
He also cautioned about the interplay of foreign policy and national security with economic agendas, adding: “What is now overarching more and more (is) foreign policy and economic policy, national security issues. And I think we have to be very careful with that.”
Roller pointed out the distorting effects of subsidies on global markets and stressed the urgency of private investments in the green economy, saying: “We’re not going to solve the climate crisis unless we generate a lot more private investment in the green economy.”
