Weekly Market Brief – 12/23/2022

Saudi Arabia Macroeconomic Developments

• Saudi Arabia’s holdings of U.S. Treasuries reached SAR454 billion ($121.1 billion) in October, up 3.95 percent from SAR437 billion ($116.5 billion) YoY, according to data released by the U.S. Treasury. The Kingdom’s holdings in long-term bonds in October amounted to SAR387 billion ($103.1 billion), representing 85 percent of the total, while short-term bonds were worth SAR67 billion ($17.99 billion), equal to 15 percent of the total.

• The value of Saudi Arabia’s real estate transactions fell by 21 percent YoY to SAR15.37 billion ($4.1 billion) in November 2022, Ministry of Justice data showed. Real estate deals decreased by SAR2.94 million ($784,000), or 16 percent MoM. The number of the real estate transactions reached approximately 14,800 in November.

• R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the launch of the National Intellectual Property Strategy to support the Kingdom’s economy based on innovation and creativity. The National Intellectual Property Strategy is based on four basic pillars: generation, management, commercial investment, and protection of intellectual property.