Good morning. Tariffs are still leading the news cycle everywhere, as global markets are increasingly feeling the squeeze of US protectionist measures. Our economy might be well situated to withstand the direct impact, analysts argue, but spillover effects from global markets could still cause headwinds.

Also in this morning’s news well: Net foreign assets dropped for eighth consecutive month in February, Acwa Power starts commercial operations at two plants in Uzbekistan, and Forbes brings back Saudi b’naires into its 2024 list (after a 7-year hiatus).

UP FIRST- It’s the first day of the EFG Hermes One on One in Dubai. The One on One is the largest investor conference focused on emerging markets — and it’s difficult to imagine a more opportune time for companies and equity investors to chew the fat than now: Global markets are roiling in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s bid to reshape the post-Second World War economic order.

On stage this morning: Central Bank of Egypt Deputy Governor Ramy Aboul Naga will offer what’s being billed as an “inside view into Egypt’s economic reset” in a fireside chat. Next up will be a panel discussion in partnership with the Dubai Financial Market on the role of capital markets in bringing to life the UAE’s long-term vision. On stage will be DFM and Nasdaq Dubai CEO Hamed Ali and Dubai Economic Development Corporation CEO Hadi Badri. The DEDC is a unit of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

Fund and portfolio investors from around the world will join top company execs for the world’s biggest live poll of investor sentiment. The EFG Hermes Live Research Poll caps off the morning before participants break out for one-on-one meetings in which company execs meet face-to-face with investors.

BY THE NUMBERS- We expect this morning that fund managers representing more than 250 global institutions will meet this week with top execs from 220 companies spanning 12 countries.

Companies from our part of the world are the stars of the show. Among the top Saudi firms attending:

• Alinma Bank
• Almarai
• And dozens more
• Aramco
• Care
• Cenomi Centres and Cenomi Retail
• Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Services
• eXtra
• First Mills
• Jarir
• Retal
• Saudi Awwal Bank
• Savola
• SNB
• STC
• Tas’heel
• Zain

HAPPENING TODAY-

The three-day Sports Investment Forum (SIF) kicks off today at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Riyadh, bringing together industry specialists and leaders to build cross-border partnerships. The forum’s objectives include showcasing advanced technologies, improving player and fan experiences, promoting sports academies, and using AI for sports analysis and smart stadiums.

WEATHER- Riyadh's getting sun today, but pack an umbrella for Makkah or Madinah as we might see rain.

• Riyadh: 36°C daytime / 24°C overnight
• Makkah: 40°C daytime / 28°C overnight
• Madinah: 38°C daytime / 28°C overnight

HAPPENING THIS WEEK-

Tesla’s debut in the Kingdom takes place this Thursday at the Bujairi Terrace in Riyadh. The event will showcase the company’s electric vehicles, solar-powered products, and new technology, including an autonomous taxi and humanoid robot.

PSAs-

The next round of e-invoicing: Companies that recorded more than SAR 5 mn in revenues subject to VAT will need to integrate their e-invoicing solutions with Zatca’s Fatoora platform by 30 April, Zatca said in a post on X. This is the latest phase of an e-invoicing rollout that began in late 2021.

REMEMBER- Companies that recorded more than SAR 1.3 mn in revenues subject to VAT in 2022, 2023, or 2024 will need to integrate their e-invoicing solutions with Zatca’s Fatoora platform by 30 November, while those with more than SAR 1 mn mn must integrate by 31 December 2025.

ALSO- Businesses subject to withholding tax must file their March tax returns by Thursday, 10 April via Zatca’s website, according to a statement. Late submissions will face a 1% penalty for every 30 days of delay.

The subscription window for the April round of the government-issued retail sukuk program Sah closes at 3pm tomorrow, the National Debt Management Center said in a post on X. The instrument carries a 4.88% yield, with a minimum subscription of SAR 1k and a maximum of SAR 200k.

WATCH THIS SPACE-

Riyadh Air cleared for takeoff? Riyadh Air received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (Gaca), clearing the way for it to begin flying later this year, the authority said in a post on X.

Aircraft delays might still pose a problem: The Kingdom’s newest carrier pushed back its launch to 3Q 2025 from earlier this year, after facing delays in Boeing aircraft deliveries. The airline expects to receive as many as four Boeing 787 Dreamliners this year, and placed an order of 60 Airbus A321neos in October with deliveries scheduled between 2H 2026 and 2030.

CIRA Education’s eyes are on Saudi: Egypt’s leading education provider CIRA Education is studying potential investments in Kingdom as part of its plan to set foot in the market, according to an EGX disclosure (pdf). The company reportedly plans to finalize all expansion procedures before the start of the next academic year, Al Borsa reports, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the matter.

Part of the plan: Earlier this year, the PIF-backed Social Impact Capital increased its stake in CIRA Education to 88.7% from 51.2%. The move was said to position CIRA for regional expansion.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to pay us a visit and meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the coming weeks, The Sunday Guardian reported yesterday, citing sources it says are in the know. The two leaders plan to discuss energy security, regional stability, economic partnerships, and trade disruptions resulting from US tariffs. A specific date is yet to be provided.

The Capital Market’s Authority (CMA) gave the thumbs up to Naf Feed to debut a 20% stake (good for 400k shares) on Tadawul’s parallel market Nomu, according to a statement.

DATA POINTS-

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) reported an 82% y-o-y increase in the number of licensed factories and warehouses in 2024, Al Jazirah reports, citing data from the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). The food industry topped the list with 693 newly-licensed factories and 3.8k warehouses, followed by cosmetics with 42 factories and 857 warehouses, and animal feed with 29 factories and 270 warehouses.

OIL WATCH-

Aramco made its steepest oil price cut in over two years, slashing May prices for Arab light crude and other grades to Asia by USD 2.30 per barrel, Reuters reports, citing a company pricing list. This marks the second consecutive month of price cuts, setting prices at a four-month low.

IN CONTEXT- The price discount follows Opec+’s unexpected move over the weekend to hike output by 411k barrels per day, citing “healthy market fundamentals and the positive market outlook”. The decision comes after Kazakhstan reportedly continued to report record figures at the oil pump and Iraq failed to comply with production cuts.

SPORTS-

⚽ The Pro League title race heats up: Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace away in a 3-1 victory against Al Hilal, while Al Ittihad lost two points following a 4-goal draw with Al Ahli. Al Nassr (54 points) stands in third place — trailing the Blue Wave by 3 points and table leaders Nadi Al Sha’ab by 8 points — as Al Qadisiyah fell off pace in the race for the third spot, after a stalemate at home with Al Ettifaq.

Also from matchday 26: Al Akhdoud pulled away from the relegation zone after seeing off Al Orobah away from home 1-0, hovering just above Al Fateh on goal difference — which managed a 1-1 draw against Al Feiha.

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THE BIG STORY ABROAD-

It’s still all about the global market turmoil in the foreign press, with virtually every outlet leading with expectations of markets extending their slump tomorrow as futures fall.

US President Donald Trump and his administration has indicated they plan to stay the course on tariffs despite global concerns over a possible economic recession and the response from markets, sending S&P 500 futures contracts down 2.9% and Nasdaq futures down 3.9%. The two indices have wiped tns in market value since the tariffs were announced last week. The flat 10% global tariff has since kicked in on Saturday, while the country-specific reciprocal tariffs are kicking in on Wednesday.

Commodities also extended their losses last night, with Brent crude falling 3.1% to USD 63.53 and West Texas Intermediate slipping 3.4% to USD 59.9, below breakeven price for shale producers. Copper also fell more than 5% to USD 4.14. Meanwhile, Asian markets faced a brutal sell-off at market open, with Japan’s Nikkei plunging 8%, triggering a circuit breaker. We dive into the impact of the tariffs on regional markets as well in this morning’s Planet Finance, below.

Trump dismissed the global response and said that “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said over 50 countries have reached out to the US for negotiations, while signaling that any talks would take time. Trump also didn’t seem too concerned about inflation, saying he doesn’t expect the US to “lose a tn USD for the privilege of buying pencils from China.” (Bloomberg | FT | NYT | CNBC)

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

The four-day EdgeX 2025 conference will take place on Sunday, 13 April at 12:55 pm at the Ritz Carlton, Riyadh. The event will showcase industry technologies, enrollment solutions, sustainable campus designs, and emerging EdTech startups. The full schedule — including skill-building workshops and discussion panels with industry leaders — is available here.