Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We have a rather busy news flow this hump day, including a raft of agreements and announcements from the Global Health Exhibition, which kicked off in Riyadh yesterday.

BUT FIRST- Supermarket chain LuLu Group has officially scrapped the Tadawul leg of its retail business’ upcoming IPO. LuLu issued its intention to float (pdf) yesterday, confirming its plans to offer up to a 25% stake (or c.2.6 bn shares) in an IPO on the ADX. The IPO could potentially raise some USD 1.7-1.8 bn (AED 6.24-6.61 bn), Zawya quoted sources it says are in the know as saying last week, while Bloomberg said the IPO could give the company a valuation of “at least” USD 5 bn.

REFRESHER- Last February, unconfirmed reports suggested that Lulu was considering a dual-listing on the Abu Dhabi Exchange and Tadawul. Zawya last week suggested that the company remains in discussions for a possible future Tadawul listing.

ADVISORS- Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Citigroup, Emirates NBD Capital and our friends at HSBC Holdings are joint coordinators and bookrunners, while Alrajhi Capital, EFG Hermes UAE, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and Goldman Sachs have been tapped as bookrunners. ADCB, Citigroup, Emirates NBD Capital, HSBC Holdings, and EFG Hermes UAE are also joint lead managers, while FAB and ADCB are joint lead receiving banks, along with Mashreq, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, and Emirates NBD, who are acting as receiving banks. Moelis & Co. is also acting as an independent financial advisor.

WEATHER- Riyadh is looking at a high of 34°C, and a low of 22°C today. Over in Jeddah, the temperature will peak at 36°C, before dropping to 28°C. Meanwhile, Abha will see a high of 24°C, and a low of 18°C.

HAPPENING TODAY-

#1- It’s day one of the annual Brics Summit in Russia: The heads of Brics nations are in the Russian city of Kazan for the three-day Brics Summit to discuss economic cooperation, trade, and global governance.

It remains unclear whether the Kingdom will be represented at the summit, or who is expected to be Saudi’s representative. Unconfirmed media reports last week suggested Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is skipping the summit and mandating Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan to attend the meeting instead. The Kremlin later said it “will supply additional information on who will represent Saudi Arabia, [and] whether it will be represented at this summit.”

#2- It’s day two of the World Bank and IMF annual meetings: The American capital is busier than usual today, with the world’s finance ministers, central bank governors, and other big names in finance and policy in town for the six-day International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual Meetings. The meetings kicked off yesterday and will run until Saturday. Check out the full schedule on the event’s official website.

What to expect: Yesterday’s Planet Finance laid out the big themes to look out for and the global challenges structuring the conversation.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Tighter rules on investment funds are up for public consultation: The Capital Market Authority is proposing tightening the rules on offering private and foreign investment funds — which typically come with fewer restrictions — to retail clients. The draft amendments are open for public consultation on the government’s Istitlaa platform until Tuesday, 5 November. The move is part of a broader push to boost individual investors’ protection.

The key change: Under the proposed amendments, fund managers would be required to collect equivalent or greater subscription fees from institutional and qualified clients before offering private and foreign investment funds to retail clients. This is meant to reduce retail exposure to higher-risk investments, ensuring a better balance between retail and institutional players.

PSAs-

Property owners can view their property deeds digitally through the Real Estate Registry’s newly-launched Tawakkalna app. The app also allows users to follow news and updates on the registry through the Wakib platform within the app, it said in a post on X.

SPORTS-

Al Nassr’s AFC Champions League Elite game with Iran’s Esteghlal has been moved to Dubai from Iran, due to security concerns amid the rising tensions in the region, the Associated Press reports. The match will kick off today at 7pm local time.

OIL WATCH-

Aramco is “fairly bullish” on China’s oil demand, as Beijing’s latest stimulus package promises to jumpstart the economy, Reuters reports citing statements made by CEO Amin Nasser at the Singapore International Energy Week. Nasser pointed out that China’s appetite for jet fuel and naphtha is on the up, driven by liquid-to-chemical projects that are vital for the production of EVs and solar panels. The story also got ink in Bloomberg.

Nasser sees oil consumption holding steady at over 100 mn bpd by 2050, pinning a slow-down in Asia’s clean energy transition along with its growing energy needs on the positive demand outlook. “This is a stark contrast with those predicting that oil will, or must, fall to just 25 mn bpd by then. Being short 75 mn barrels every day would be devastating for energy security and affordability,” he added.

Meanwhile, the IEA is sounding the alarm on weakening global oil demand, citing China’s economic slump and the rapid uptake of EVs as major factors, Bloomberg reports. Even though oil prices could see spikes from Middle East tensions, the agency’s Executive Director Fatih Birol made it very clear that supply is solid, with OPEC+ holding near-record spare capacity to keep the market steady.

IN CONTEXT- Oil prices bounced back yesterday after last week’s 8% drop. The uptick comes as traders track rising tensions in the Middle East, with Israel weighing in retaliation against Iran following recent Hezbollah attacks.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

The US elections and attempts towards a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon are once again pushing business news to the bottom of digital front pages.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s return to the Middle East in hopes of securing a ceasefire — for the eleventh time — is getting attention, as other US officials held talks in Beirut for conditions for a ceasefire. It’s not clear where Blinken will be holding ceasefire talks in the region.

The situation on the ground: Israel continued to strike Beirut and Syria yesterday, killing at least four near one of Lebanon’s largest public hospitals and two in a missile attack on a car in Syria. Crowds of Palestinians were evacuated from the Jabaliya refugee camp, where around 400 people have been killed over the past two weeks, while over in Lebanon, Israel is setting its sights on a hospital it says houses Hezbollah money — a claim yet to be backed up by any sort of evidence. (Reuters | Bloomberg | CNN | The Guardian)

Also still getting attention: The US elections money race, in which Kamala Harris is emerging as a victor with some USD 1 bn raised in three months, surpassing the USD 894 mn Donald Trump has gathered since January 2023 for his campaign. (Financial Times)

Elon Musk’s pledge to hand out USD 1 mn checks to voters signing for his free-speech and gun rights petition is also seeing some scrutiny in the foreign press, with legal experts weighing in on whether the move could be seen as an illegal way of paying people to vote.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The two-day Multilateral Industrial Policy Forum will kick off in Riyadh tomorrow. The forum will address global industrial challenges, focusing on topics like industrial policy, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing tech. The forum is organized by The Industry and Mineral Resources Ministry in partnership with UNIDO. The Kingdom will also host the UNIDO General Conference in 2025.

The Human Resources and Manpower Expo kicks off on Sunday, 27 October at the Riyadh International Exhibition and Convention Center, expecting over 1k exhibitors and 22k visitors.

The five-day Jeddah International Motor Show revs up on Tuesday, 29 October, running through Saturday, 2 November. The event will showcase motorcycle and drift shows, sim and kart racing, a lineup of custom-tuned cars, and more.

WWE Raw is coming to RIyadh for the first time ever on 2-3 November, kicking off on the back of the WWE Crown Jewel event the day prior, Turki Alalshikh said in a post on X. You can book your Raw tickets here, and your Crown Jewel tickets here.

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