Saudi wealth fund eyes national airline for possible takeover

By Aya El Sayed On Mar 17, 2024

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is in preliminary discussions to buy the national airline, Saudia. This is part of a broader strategy to invest heavily in transforming Saudi Arabia into a major tourist destination, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

The deal, which could see the 80-year-old airline being added to the fund’s expanding aviation portfolio, might be finalised as early as next year.

The PIF is planning to acquire Saudia from the government with the aim of enhancing its efficiency and profitability.

The airline could potentially be privatised or amalgamated with Riyadh Air, a new airline that the PIF is currently establishing.

The valuation of Saudia by the PIF is uncertain, as the fund has previously received assets from the government for free to prepare them for privatisation. Saudia operates a fleet of over 142 aircraft and serves more than 90 global destinations.

Final decisions have not yet been reached, as the discussions are in their initial stages, and there’s a possibility that the plan could be postponed or even discarded.