By: El Sayed Gamal
Riyadh – Mubasher: Foreign investments in Saudi Arabia leapt by SAR 268.046 billion ($71.478 billion), or 19.7%, year-on-year during the first quarter of 2019.
Overall foreign investments in the oil-rich kingdom hit its highest level ever, registering SAR 1.628 trillion ($434.05 billion) in Q1-19, compared to SAR 1.359 trillion ($362.57 billion) in the year-ago period, according to statistics conducted by Mubahser based on official data released by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA).
Quarter-on-quarter, foreign investments in the GCC nation rose by SAR 139.345 billion ($37.16 billion), or 9.36%, compared to SAR 1.488 trillion ($396.89 billion) in Q4-18.
FDI
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the GCC nation went up SAR 13.468 billion ($3.59 billion), or 1.57%, to SAR 870.1 billion ($232.03 billion) in the three-month period ended 31 March, compared to SAR 856.632 billion ($228.44 billion) in the year-ago period.
It is noteworthy that FDI accounts for 53.45% of total foreign investments in the kingdom.
Quarter-on-quarter, FDI grew by 0.5% or SAR 4.65 billion ($1.24 billion) during the three-month period ended 31 March.
Portfolio investments
The rise in foreign investments was supported by the 45.25% growth in portfolio investment inflows, which include investing in equity, shares of mutual funds, and debt instruments.
Portfolio investments in Saudi Arabia surged by SAR 128.795 billion ($34.35 billion) to SAR 413.42 billion ($110.25 billion) in Q1-19, compared to SAR 284.63 billion ($75.9 billion) in the same period a year earlier.
Investments in equity and shares of mutual funds grew by 22.5% to SAR 149.8 billion ($39.95 billion) in Q1-19, compared to SAR 122.26 billion ($32.6 billion) in Q1-18.
In addition, foreign investments in the kingdom’s debt instruments amounted to SAR 263.62 billion ($70.29 billion), rising by 62.4% year-on-year from SAR 162.37 billion ($43.3 billion) in Q1-18.
Translated by: Zeinab Adel
