SAB Invest manages over SAR 37B in assets: CEO

Ali Almansour, CEO and Managing Director of SAB Invest

Ali Almansour, CEO and Managing Director of SAB Invest, said the company currently manages over SAR 37 billion in assets, up from SAR 16 billion three years ago.

He added that the growth has been strong and diversified across different asset classes in the Saudi and global markets.

Speaking to Argaam on the sidelines of the Money20/20 conference, Almansour said this year marks a pivotal stage in the history of the Saudi market in terms of foreign investment.

The main market was opened to all categories of foreign investors, he said, adding that SAB Invest was prepared from Day 1. The company began preparations before the decision was issued and started receiving foreign investor applications as soon as the market opened.

The company had built the technology infrastructure needed to allow foreign investors to open portfolios and make transfers through its digital channels.

It began onboarding a number of foreign investors in the first month, with their numbers expected to increase over time through direct investment.

Over the past three years, SAB Invest has also seen a significant increase in the number of qualified institutional investors investing in the strategies it manages.

These include investors from the region as well as international markets, he said.

Almansour said the company is seeing strong interest from regional investors, who are primarily focused on equity funds.

They then turn to opportunities requiring more sophisticated structures, such as the private credit fund the company launched last year.

The fund provides corporate financing as an alternative to bank lending and has attracted interest from both local and regional investors.

He said the company remains optimistic about its performance, adding that geopolitical developments are ongoing and that the focus should remain on opportunities.

Such changes can at times create opportunities to enter strong companies and build positions in them, he said.

The fintech sector is also growing and represents a significant opportunity, Almansour said, adding that SAB Invest has a dedicated fund focused on fintech investments, while the opportunities it has invested in, as well as those still under consideration, remain promising.