Fintech PR
IMF: Financial and Regulatory Reform Agenda Contributed to Accelerating Saudi Economy’s Growth
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a positive report on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the conclusion of the Article IV consultations with Saudi Arabia. The IMF report confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s financial and regulatory reform agenda contributed to accelerating the Saudi economy’s growth, containing inflation, and reducing the unemployment rate to its lowest levels ever. The IMF praised the ongoing economic transformation and efforts to diversify the economy under the Saudi Vision 2030.
The IMF Article IV Consultation report commended the macroeconomic policies and transformational changes implemented by the Kingdom, which contributed to enhancing the growth of non-oil activities. The report also noted that Saudi reforms led to rising employment, which now exceeds pre-Covid figures, and that the rate of women’s participation in the labor market rose to more than 35%, exceeding the Saudi Vision 2030 target of 30%.
The IMF welcomed Saudi Arabia’s measures of conducting the long-term financing planning that supports the implementation of the initiatives, programs, and projects of Vision 2030; while mitigating the risks of overheating. The report also stressed that the Kingdom’s fiscal space is strong, and that sovereign debt risks are low, adding that the abundance of financial reserves in Saudi Arabia has limited the impact of global and regional challenges.
The IMF report stressed that the ongoing reforms in the Kingdom—including ensuring the effective implementation of regulations, streamlining fees, enhancing human capital, increasing the participation of Saudi women in the labor market, facilitating access to land and financing, and improving governance—have contributed to enhancing private sector growth and attracting more foreign direct investment, in addition to the significant progress in the field of digital transformation and artificial intelligence that support these efforts.
The IMF Executive Directors commended Saudi’s leadership role in multilateral fora, including its chairmanship of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC) in the IMF, contributing to efforts to address global challenges.
The report also noted the increased activity in the services sector—including transportation, trade, tourism and finance—as the growth in consumption that reached 5.7%.
The IMF said that foreign investment license applications reached record levels in 2023, as they approximately doubled from 2022, including the 330 companies applying for licenses to establish their regional headquarters in the Kingdom.
The report reviewed the banking sector developments in the Kingdom, stressing its strong levels of solvency and liquidity, and its flexibility to shocks. The IMF noted that the banking sector is on strong footing, and also noted the efficiency of banking mediation, according to indicators of profitability, infrastructure, and competitiveness.
The IMF report also noted the rise in the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) index of 14.2% in 2023, surpassing the Morgan Stanley Emerging Markets Index of 7%, while noting the progress in the technical environment enabling investment, and the licensing of three digital banks. The IMF stressed their contribution to enhancing financial inclusion and competitiveness as these banks are characterized by flexibility and innovation.
The IMF noted the Kingdom’s containment of risks resulting from the rapid growth of real estate lending, through diverse government support, the strength of banks, full recourse mortgages, and other supportive measures. It also highlighted improvements in automating the national assessment matrix for money laundering and terrorist financing risks, and enhancing the accuracy of data analysis related to risks received from reporting entities, including fintech companies.
The IMF report noted that the increase in non-oil revenues reflects the effectiveness of existing reforms, which directly contributed to enhancing compliance, praising the alignment of customs procedures with international best practices.
The IMF expected the non-oil sector (which includes government activities) to grow by 3.5% in 2024, supported by strong domestic demand. The IMF also stated that it is probable the inflation rate in the Kingdom remains stable at around 2% over the medium term, supported by the Saudi Riyals peg to the US dollar, and local policies consistent with Saudi Vision 2030.
The IMF confirmed that the Kingdom has one of the lowest carbon intensity levels among all major producers, due to ongoing environmental reforms and the Kingdom’s efforts to achieve net zero by 2060. The report noted the Kingdom’s success in securing a 30-year purchase agreement for the green hydrogen project in NEOM, to achieve its efforts to utilize renewable energy sources.
In order to sequester approximately 44 million tons annually by 2035, the IMF noted that the Saudi government intends to build one of the largest carbon capture and storage plants in the world, which will be operational by 2027, with a capacity of 9 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. The IMF noted the Kingdom’s current efforts to sequester 1.3 million tons of carbon annually through the SABIC Plant and Uthmaniyah Gas Plant Department.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/imf-financial-and-regulatory-reform-agenda-contributed-to-accelerating-saudi-economys-growth-302238403.html
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, set out to make the community’s TOKEN2049 journey more rewarding. Gearing up for the most anticipated blockchain and Web3 event in the region, Bybit is thrilled to announce three bonus events to enable both attendees and remote fans to both be part of the experience.
The winning opportunities are open to both attendees of TOKEN2049 and followers from afar. Through trading and offline events, participants stand to get free tickets, a share of the $80,000 prize pool in airdrops and coupons, and Bybit merchandise.
Event 1: TOKEN2049 Treasure Express
From now to Sep. 26, 2024, Bybit users may register for the event and complete tasks by depositing and trading assets to earn lucky draw tickets. The wheel of fortune will turn to one of the three prizes:
1. A pair of tickets to TOKEN2049;
2. A share of the airdrop prize pool valued at $50,000 featuring the hottest tokens, including DOGS, PEPE, SOL, XRP, TON and USDT; or
3. Up to 50 USDT in spot coupons.
Even more rewards await in referrals and social media giveaways. For details, visit: TOKEN2049 Treasure Express
Event 2: Share and Unlock
From now to Sep. 30, 2024, unleash your social media magic for a chance to win a 10 USDT spot trading coupon. Share a Bybit blog link and your thoughts on Bybit and Web3. Remember to tag @Bybit_Official and use the hashtag #UnlockWeb3Future and submit the form with us here: #UnlockWeb3Future at TOKEN2049 with Bybit
Event 3: Meet us offline at TOKEN2049
Spot our logo at TOKEN2049 and capture a photo at the Bybit booth (M50) to win Bybit merchandise. Remember to share to your social media channels and use the right hashtag. For details, visit: #UnlockWeb3Future at TOKEN2049 with Bybit
An advocate for a sustainable Web3 ecosystem, Bybit will be featured prominently at TOKEN2049 on a series of keynote panels, thought leadership and community events, and booth M50.
#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk
About Bybit
Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving over 40 million users. Established in 2018, Bybit provides a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One’s reigning Constructors’ and Drivers’ champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.
For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press.
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
For more information, please visit: https://www.bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media
Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/board-the-token2049-treasure-express-with-bybit-and-dive-into-an-80-000-prize-pool-302240594.html
DUBAI, UAE, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is excited to announce it’s among the first to be granted consent to a full authorization by the Astana Financial Service Authority (AFSA). This milestone brings Bybit closer to becoming a fully regulated Digital Asset Trading Facility (DATF).
As part of a rigorous process, Bybit Kazakhstan has passed a full AML check, business conduct audit, and detailed compliance inspections. This is part of Bybit’s focus on securing new user opportunities in Kazakhstan and the broader Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.
“Kazakhstan has become a key player in the global crypto ecosystem, and we are thrilled to be expanding our services in such a dynamic market,” said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit. “We are committed to bringing our cutting-edge technology, security, and transparency to crypto traders in Kazakhstan, ensuring they can access the best possible tools and services to thrive in this fast-growing industry.”
Once the full license is in place, Bybit Kazakhstan will offer various digital assets related products and services. The expansion into Kazakhstan aligns with Bybit’s mission to provide reliable and transparent services, catering to the unique needs of crypto traders and investors in the region.
This development follows Bybit’s receipt of its initial operating and custody licenses from AFSA in June 2023, reinforcing its commitment to local regulatory requirements. Bybit’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence in Kazakhstan underscore its belief in responsible growth and ensuring a compliant and secure trading environment.
Kazakhstan has quickly emerged as a hub for crypto innovation, and Bybit is proud to play a leading role in fostering this development. For example, Bybit hosted a “Foundations of Blockchain, Web3 and Crypto Exchange Activities” course for Banks of Kazakhstan in 2024. This event was part of Bybit’s drive to make blockchain education more accessible in the CIS region.
By securing this full authorization, Bybit is poised to enhance crypto adoption, provide institutional-grade security, and offer advanced trading features to its growing regional user base.
#Bybit / #TheCryptoArk
About Bybit
Bybit is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, serving over 40 million users. Established in 2018, Bybit provides a professional platform where crypto investors and traders can find an ultra-fast matching engine, 24/7 customer service, and multilingual community support. Bybit is a proud partner of Formula One’s reigning Constructors’ and Drivers’ champions: the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.
For more details about Bybit, please visit Bybit Press.
For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
For more information, please visit: https://www.bybit.com
For updates, please follow: Bybit’s Communities and Social Media
Discord | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Reddit | Telegram | TikTok | X | Youtube
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bybit-expands-global-reach-receives-formal-consent-for-full-authorization-in-kazakhstan-302240634.html
Fintech PR
Integrum ESG and CSRHub enable fund managers to monitor both long-term trends and short-term movements in ESG ratings for companies, across a 10-year time series
LONDON, Sept. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Integrum ESG, the leading alternative ESG data provider, has today announced the launch of their Consensus ESG Ratings module.
Just as investors monitor movements in consensus earnings estimates or credit ratings, investors now are aware of the demand for the ability to monitor long-term trends and short-term movements in consensus ESG ratings.
This new feature enables Integrum ESG’s asset manager clients to now see the consensus ESG score for any company, either as an absolute rating or a relative percentile ranking, across a 10-year time series.
These scores will indicate to any investor what the capital markets have ‘priced in’ for a company’s ESG performance, allowing users to quickly understand the market’s view on a company and easily conduct relative ESG analysis on the positions they hold within their Portfolio.
This regularly updated data is provided by CSRHub, the world’s leading provider of consensus ESG ratings. CSRHub has spent years aggregating and normalising a vast range of licensed sources – from large ESG ratings firms such as MSCI, ISS, S&P Global, and Sustainalytics to specialists such as CDP and Better World Companies.
Shai Hill, Founder and CEO of Integrum ESG, commented: “Many investors have told us they want a sense of ‘what is priced in’ in terms of a company’s ESG performance, so they can compare this to what anyone ESG ratings firm is saying. CSRHub is the only firm to have credibly achieved this, thanks to a model refined over years and a vast data lake – so we are delighted to be partnering with them.”
Bahar Gidwani, Co-Founder of CSRHub, added: “Investors need to fine tune their ESG-related investment strategies to improve their returns and better match the preferences of their clients. Combining CSRHub’s expert outside-in, consensus view of ESG with Integrum ESG’s detailed real-time data stream provides a strong solution for these needs.”
About Integrum ESG
Integrum ESG is the leading alternative ESG data and ratings platform for investors, blending human analysis and award-winning artificial intelligence models to capture, verify and display granular and relevant ESG data for analysis and assessment. Their Platform allows clients to dissect ESG scores, real-time sentiment, and more with a variety of unique-to-market features, empowering industry professionals and investors and giving them complete oversight of ESG risk across their portfolio.
For more information, visit www.integrumesg.com
About CSRHub
CSRHub offers the most comprehensive global set of Consensus ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) ratings, information, and tools. CSRHub’s business intelligence system measures the ESG business impact that drives corporate and investor sustainability decisions. Founded in 2007, CSRHub covers 56,545 public and private companies, and provides ESG performance scores on over 37,899 companies from 135 industries in 210 countries. Our Big Data platform uses algorithms to aggregate, normalize and weight ESG metrics from 957 sources to produce a strong consensus signal on corporate sustainability performance.
For more information, visit www.csrhub.com
Media Contact
Harish Karunalingam
Integrum ESG
[email protected]
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