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(Bloomberg) — Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal invested greater than $500 million in Russian companies across the time of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, in an indication of the cautious political place the Gulf state has maintained with its OPEC+ companion.
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Prince Alwaleed’s funding agency, Kingdom Holding Co., acquired depositary receipts issued by Gazprom PSJC, Lukoil PJSC and Rosneft PJSC in February, in response to a inventory trade submitting. Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.
No particular dates for the investments got, and the Saudi agency didn’t reply to questions on whether or not it nonetheless owned them. The worth of all these depositary receipts dropped quickly after the battle started, when buying and selling in Moscow was halted and western sanctions have been imposed on Russia.
Alwaleed, whose grandfather was the founder of contemporary Saudi Arabia, is without doubt one of the nation’s richest males and most excessive profile worldwide buyers. Extra just lately he has been eclipsed by the dominion’s sovereign wealth fund, chaired by his cousin, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which acquired a 16.9% stake in Kingdom Holding Co. in Could.
Saudi Wealth Fund Takes $1.5 Billion Stake in Alwaleed Agency
The investments spotlight Saudi Arabia’s delicate relationship with Russia all through the battle as lots of its Gulf neighbors have pulled again.
President Vladimir Putin and the dominion’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have spoken a number of instances for the reason that begin of the battle. Each international locations have working collectively throughout the OPEC+ oil producers group to handle crude provide, largely resisted calls from Western leaders together with US President Joe Biden to assist sort out world inflation issues by growing oil output.
Ritz-Carlton
Prince Alwaleed was detained on the Saudi capital’s Ritz-Carlton lodge in 2017 together with different princes and authorities officers as a part of what the state known as an anti-corruption probe. No formal fees have been ever introduced, and he was launched after 83 days, having reached an undisclosed “confirmed understanding” with the federal government.
Kingdom Holding invested 1.37 billion riyals ($365 million) in Gazprom’s American depositary receipts in February, the most important stake of these disclosed thus far this yr. It additionally invested 196 million riyals in Rosneft’s world depositary receipts the identical month, and 410 million riyals in Lukoil’s American depositary receipts between February and March.
The purchases are a part of Kingdom Holding’s funding program that’s centered on various financing, power, leisure, synthetic intelligence, insurance coverage, asset administration, commodities and funds.
Different Investments
The Saudi agency invested $3.4 billion in world equities and depositary receipts since 2020, primarily based on the submitting, a uncommon little bit of disclosure by the corporate. The most important stake was an funding valued at 2.5 billion riyals in Spain’s Telefonica SA between April to August 2020.
It additionally disclosed stakes in Uber Applied sciences Inc., TotalEnergies SE, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and BHP Group Ltd., acquired largely in 2020 and 2021. The newest deal it disclosed was a 178 million riyal stake in Hercules Capital Inc., made in June. The enterprise capital agency’s shares have risen 17% for the reason that begin of July.
Prince Alwaleed, 67, grew to become one of many highest profile Saudi buyers after taking stakes in corporations reminiscent of Citigroup Inc. and Apple Inc. He’s supported Prince Mohammed’s modernization efforts, together with giving ladies the appropriate to drive.
Extra just lately he’s introduced the sale of a stake in his Rotana Music label to Warner Music Group Corp., and he raised $2.2 billion by promoting a part of his stake within the 4 Seasons lodge chain to Invoice Gates’ Cascade Funding LLC.
Alwaleed is thought for long-term investments and is a fan of famed investor Warren Buffett. He as soon as known as himself the Oracle of Omaha’s Arabian equal.
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(Updates with particulars in fifth and sixth paragraphs)
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