Saudis Public Pension Agency reports 9.5% return on investments in 2020

A report carried by Argaam said the agency’s annual investment report showed PPA’s investments in 77 listed firms.

Al-Rai’dah Investment Co. (RIC), the agency’s investment arm, manages its investments.

The PPA’s investments are distributed in most countries, both in developed and emerging markets. The agency is also a strong investor in the Saudi market, which constitutes more than 50 percent of its portfolio.

The agency also invests in privatization programs, as they are considered attractive due to the diversity of its sectors.

Last year, PPA invested in 77 Tadawul-listed firms, four real estate funds, and 18 unlisted companies.

In 2020, the PPA invested in 18 new listed companies across 12 sectors, and two unlisted firms, according to the report.

During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the agency invested in the technical sector, realizing gains of about 19 percent.

On June 15, the Saudi Cabinet approved the merger of PPA with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). The merger will result in the creation of one of the Kingdom’s largest investment funds estimated at billions of riyals.

The merger is aimed at unifying the public and private sectors’ insurance protection umbrella.

Nader bin Abdallah Al-Wahaibi, GOSI’s assistant governor for insurance affairs, was quoted by Argaam as saying that the merger will not affect the investment strategy, nor the stock exchange.

He said the merger will comprise transferring some of the ownerships from the PPA to GOSI, indicating that both institutions have a long-term investment strategy with investments in the same companies as well as business activities.