PIF owns 67% of Lucid; has long-term investment outlook: Al-Rumayyan

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, PIF governor 

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) owns 67% stake in Lucid Motors with an investment worth $1.3 billion, governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan said in a statement to CNBC Arabia.

Al-Rumayyan indicated that the fund’s foreign investments have financial and other objectives to support the economy.

PIF’s investment outlook is long-term, with foreign investments currently representing between 25% and 30%, compared to 2% in 2016, he added.

The governor said that the fund is one of the largest investors in technology, and seeks to invest in projects within the Kingdom, stressing that the government is a main supporter of its projects.

The size of PIF is currently about $400 billion, and the fund aims to reach $2 trillion in 2030, he pointed out.

Speaking about local investments, Al-Rumayyan said that the fund has excellent stakes in many companies in the Saudi market, as it owns approximately 34% of the volume on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

Moreover, increasing its share in ACWA Power came due to the importance of renewable energy in the agenda of the fund and the government in general.

PIF is the single and largest shareholder in NEOM, Al-Rumayyan said, clarifying that the project is not only a real estate development but rather a complete financial, technical and social system.

The project will depend on 14 different sectors, including energy, water, transport, food, manufacturing, media, entertainment and culture, in addition to technology, tourism, sports, design, construction, services in general, health services, welfare and education.

NEOM aspires to form partnerships in each of these sectors with entrepreneurs as well as local and international companies, Al-Rumayyan emphasized, noting that the project has two private funds - one for investment and the other for financing - in addition to the support it receives from PIF.

Meanwhile, the governor also added that THE LINE is the first project of NEOM, and will be funded through investment capital, financing and partnerships with local and international investors.

One of the main objectives of NEOM is to have financial sustainability over the years and good governance in line with the internal system of the project and the investment policies of PIF, Al-Rumayyan concluded.