• The investment aims to enable the company to scale up domestic capacity to meet rapid local growth and strengthen the Saudi insurance sector
  • PIF’s investment reinforces Saudi Reinsurance Company’s position as the national reinsurer, further strengthening its presence regionally and globally

RIYADH – PIF today announced that it has acquired a 23.08% stake in Saudi Reinsurance Company (Saudi Re) by way of a capital increase and subscription to new shares, with the suspension of preemptive rights in accordance with Capital Market Authority regulations.

PIF’s capital investment aims to enhance Saudi Re’s growth potential by adding to its financial capacity and further strengthen its credit rating. PIF’s capital investment also supports Saudi insurance firms by enabling Saudi Re to deliver high quality reinsurance, permitting Saudi insurance companies to manage risk more effectively. Insurers use reinsurance to provide adequate coverage to their policyholders and reduce earnings volatility. Saudi Re enables Saudi insurance firms to grow and innovate.

The investment is expected to contribute to more reinsurance premiums staying within Saudi Arabia while also growing the local reinsurance sector, and allowing better coverage for commercial activities for both insurance firms and companies in general, making the economy as a whole more financially resilient. A better capitalized Saudi Re will be more able to meet rapid growth in demand, and devise new products, while having increased capacity to expand in domestic and global markets.

Sultan Alsheikh, Head of Financial Institutions in MENA Investments at PIF, said: “By investing in Saudi Re, PIF is reinforcing a leading regional reinsurer and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s insurance sector, which is an essential component of sustainable economic growth. This enhances access to quality financial services for insurers and their policyholders, and strengthens the sector.”

Ahmed Al-Jabr, CEO of Saudi Re, commented: “We are delighted to welcome PIF as a strategic investor and look forward to its role in enabling Saudi Re’s strategy and reinforcing its position as a national reinsurer, while further strengthening its presence regionally and globally. This investment will provide us with multiple benefits, including boosting our financial position and unlocking opportunities for expansion and growth.”

Saudi Re is a leading MENA reinsurance company and holds an A-minus rating from S&P Global and an A3 rating from Moody's. In the first nine months of 2024, Saudi Re's total written premiums reached SAR 1.94 billion ($520 million). It achieved a compound annual growth rate of 17% over the five years up to the end of the 2023 financial year.

The transaction secured regulatory consents and was approved by Saudi Re’s shareholders at an extraordinary general meeting.

ABOUT PIF

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world. Since 2015, when the board was reconstituted and oversight transferred to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, PIF’s board of directors has been chaired by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund. PIF plays a leading role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and diversification, as well as contributing to shaping the future of the global economy. Since 2017, PIF has established 99 companies. PIF is building a diversified portfolio by entering into attractive and long-term investment opportunities in 13 strategic sectors in Saudi Arabia and globally. PIF's strategy, as set out in the PIF Program 2021-2025 – one of the Vision 2030 realization programs – aims to enable many promising sectors and contribute to increasing local content by creating partnerships with the private sector. PIF works to transfer technologies and localize knowledge to build a prosperous and sustainable economy domestically. As the investment arm of Saudi Arabia, PIF looks to make unique investments, and is building strategic alliances and partnerships with significant international institutions and organizations, which contribute to achieving real long-term value for Saudi Arabia, in line with the objectives of Vision 2030. PIF has also created an operational governance model that reflects its main tasks and objectives, in line with best international practices. Applying this model of governance enhances the level of transparency and effectiveness in decision-making and future progress.

More information about PIF can be found at: www.pif.gov.sa
Emma Mikus: emikus@pif.gov.sa
Media Contact: media@pif.gov.sa

ABOUT Saudi Reinsurance Company

Listed in the Saudi Market Exchange and operating under the supervision of Insurance Authority, Saudi Re operates in more than 40 countries across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Lloyd’s market in the UK, and specializes in life and non-life treaty and facultative reinsurance solutions. The company is also assigned financial strength ratings of A3 rating by Moody's and A- from S&P‎.