H.E. Mr. Yasser bin Othman Al-Rumayyan, Governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), revealed that the Fund has invested approximately (750) billion riyals locally in new projects from 2021 to 2025, representing approximately (70%) of its total investments, adding that it continued its role in generating returns, recording a total return on shareholders of over (7%) on an annualized basis since 2017.
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Public Investment Fund.
This came during the government press conference held by the Government Communication Center yesterday evening, on the occasion of the adoption of the Fund's Board of Directors, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund, for the Fund's strategy for the years 2026-2030, addressing what the Kingdom enjoys as a strong financial center, a distinct strategic location, with advanced infrastructure and liquidity linked to global markets, enhancing its ability to attract investments and capital.<His Excellency pointed out that the Fund's investments are long-term regardless of short-term fluctuations in the markets, noting that the Fund was established in 1971, with a comprehensive development vision aimed at supporting the building of the national economy and strengthening the elements of sustainable development, and in its beginnings it focused on contributing to the establishment of major national companies such as the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Saudi Telecom Company, and Saudi Railways, in addition to contributing to the establishment of the banking sector, which contributed to driving economic growth in that period.
Pivotal shift in the Fund's journey
The Governor of the Public Investment Fund said that 2015 witnessed a pivotal shift in the Fund's journey, represented by the formation of its Board of Directors, headed by His Highness the Crown Prince, linking it to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and formulating its strategy to contribute to the development of the local economy by expanding its portfolio of global assets, maximizing investment returns and diversifying sources of income, adding that the Fund established, with the launch of the Kingdom Vision 2030, and the Fund Program 2018 - 2020, companies aimed at developing 10 promising sectors and launched several major projects, Neom, Red Sea, Qiddiya, and Roshan. During this period, the Fund contributed to investing and developing these sectors, transferring technologies and knowledge, creating jobs, building local and international partnerships, and launching the Future Investment Initiative (FII), which has become one of the most important economic and investment platforms in the world, during which the Kingdom hosted thousands of leaders, decision-makers and investors from around the world, and witnessed deals worth $ 250 billion, and expanded its international presence by holding it in many major global capitals such as London, Miami, Tokyo, Hong Kong and others.
Investments in 13 strategic sectors
His Excellency said that at the beginning of 2021, the Fund launched its strategy for the period 2021-20252025, through which it begins a phase aimed at expansion and growth, complementing the successes it achieved in the previous phase, and continued during that period to achieve its objectives by growing its assets, injecting investments in 13 strategic sectors, building economic partnerships, localizing technologies and knowledge, contributing to supporting the Kingdom's development and economic transformation efforts, consolidating the Fund's position as one of the best global investment entities, and locally, its projects have contributed to improving the quality of life of Saudi citizens and residents by launching national companies to become leaders in their sectors, such as “Roshan” company, to contribute to the goal of raising the percentage of citizen ownership of homes.
Developing and managing artificial intelligence solutions
His Excellency said: “The Fund launched Savi Group in the gaming and e-sports sector, which contributed to the organization and hosting of the Kingdom's e-sports World Cup, in which more than (3500) local and international professional players participated, and in the artificial intelligence sector, the Fund launched Humain to develop and manage artificial intelligence solutions and technologies and invest in the sector's ecosystem to consolidate the Kingdom's position as a global center for enabling the best data and artificial intelligence technologies, and the Fund has enabled leading national companies such as ACWA through its investment to be the main developer of its renewable energy program that represents (70%) of the Kingdom's targets from Mashreq's renewable energy projects.
910 billion riyals contribution to GDP
His Excellency revealed that between 2021 and 2024, the Fund contributed one third of the Kingdom's real non-oil GDP growth, and its contribution doubled from (4%) to (10%), reaching (910) billion riyals cumulatively in that period, and its investments in non-oil sectors, such as the tourism sector, contributed to the development of (36) billion riyals. Its investments in non-oil sectors, such as the tourism sector, contributed to the development of more than (3600) hotel rooms and the operation of (19) international hotels in the Red Sea, Kafed, Al-Ala and Diriyah projects, and the Fund and its subsidiaries spent nearly (590) billion riyals between 2021 and 2024, bringing spending on local content in 2024 to (207) billion riyals, which is equivalent to (44%) of the Kingdom's non-oil revenues in 2024.
Attracting Foreign Direct Investment
His Excellency indicated that the Fund and its subsidiaries recorded an increase in the percentage of local content from (46%) in 2020 to (57%) by the end of 2024, and the Fund companies contributed to attracting foreign direct investment of approximately (57) billion riyals from 2021 to the third quarter of 2025, in a number of emerging and new sectors that include: Real Estate, Vehicles, Transportation and Logistics, and Communications and Technology.
He explained that the Fund's strategic partnerships with leading global asset managers have contributed to expanding their business and opening their headquarters in the Kingdom, attracting foreign investments of more than (75) billion riyals to the Saudi market from 2021 to 2025, strengthening the depth of the Saudi financial market and contributing to developing local competencies, introducing innovative investment products, and developing local asset managers.
Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises
In the field of small and medium enterprises, H.E. the Governor of the Public Investment Fund reported that Jeddah has allocated (3.5) billion riyals through (46) venture capital and private equity funds that contribute to supporting the financing of small and medium enterprises and ambitious individuals, indicating that Sanabel Investment Company contributes to supporting the entrepreneurial scene in the Kingdom by leading several major investment rounds for startups in the Kingdom, with investments approaching (1. 5) billion riyals, in addition to providing the company's services.In addition to providing a number of initiatives aimed at supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the Kingdom, which benefited (165) startups, the Fund has received high credit ratings from the three major international rating agencies, to be among the elite of sovereign funds, as it received a rating from Moody's, Fitch and S&P, noting that these ratings reflect the Fund's creditworthiness and the strength of its financial position.
Opening global offices for the Fund's companies
His Excellency emphasized that the Fund has expanded its global presence by opening a number of offices for subsidiaries around the world, in Asia, Europe and America, as part of its strategy for global growth and building partnerships, in addition to offices for subsidiaries in four regional markets, namely Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman, with the aim of finding appropriate opportunities and helping Fund companies and the private sector to enter these markets.
H.E. Al-Rumayyan described the next five-year strategy as a continuation of the Fund's journey, and a natural progression from the stage of growth and expansion to a new stage of achieving sustainable value, maximizing impact and raising the efficiency of investments, by transforming (13) strategic sectors into 6 integrated economic systems, in addition to enhancing the interconnection between them, providing more diverse partnership and investment opportunities for the private sector, while focusing on enhancing financial returns to strengthen the Fund's contribution to the prosperity of the Kingdom's economy.<Mr. Al-Rumayyan pointed out that the Government Center has played a leading role in contributing to the creation and development of the investment environment, by updating and developing policies and regulatory legislation to increase the attractiveness of the Saudi market for the local private sector and foreign capital, including local content policies, special economic zones legislation, and updating the investment system, and these updates will serve the Fund's strategy for the next five years.
Commitment to investment efficiency
He stressed that the Fund will focus through its strategy on commitment to investment efficiency, with continuous evaluation of the performance of the investment It will focus on achieving sustainable financial returns to strengthen the Fund's financial position and its role in continuing to develop national wealth for the benefit of future generations. It will also focus on the Fund's direct and indirect investments in global markets to maximize returns, continue to enhance the diversification and flexibility of the Fund's portfolio, and continue to build strategic partnerships that allow attracting more global investments and opportunities.
Investments in Tourism and Entertainment
The Governor of the Public Investment Fund addressed several of the systems in which the Fund has invested, including the tourism, travel and entertainment system that focuses on promoting tourism in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
