Savola in talks to sell packaging unit

Saudi Electricity says will get $400 m payment

DUBAI, July 23, (RTRS): Saudi Arabia’s Savola Group has signed a non-binding agreement to sell its packaging business to Takween Advanced Industries, as it moves to focus on its core sectors of food and retailing, it said on Wednesday.

Savola, which reported a 32.4 percent jump in second-quarter net profit earlier this month to 513.3 million riyals ($136.9 million), said the proposed deal would have Takween acquire the entire share capital of Savola Packaging Co (SPC).

It did not disclose the value of the acquisition, which is subject to various conditions and approvals. The agreement has an initial term of 16 weeks.

According to Savola’s 2013 annual report, the packaging unit’s consolidated net profit last year fell to 69.5 million riyals from 100 million riyals a year earlier, even though sales increased 6.3 percent to 1.12 billion riyals.

“During 2013, SPC faced challenges locally and internationally, due to severe pressures on conversion costs and severe competition, (while) the financial crisis in European countries affected exports; political unrest in MENA and currency fluctuations had adverse impacts as well,” the report said.

In May, Savola sold its loss-making Kazakhstan edible oil business to a Russian company for 107 million riyals.

The Saudi firm is a major producer of cooking oil, sugar and other foodstuffs.

Saudi Electricity Co, the Gulf’s largest utility firm, will receive a payment of 1.5 billion riyals ($400 million) from oil giant Saudi Aramco as settlement of claims for using its electricity transmission systems, it said on Wednesday.

The payment will affect cash flow and reduce consumer receivables in the third quarter of 2014, the utility firm said in a bourse filing.

The settlement covers payments due between 2007 and 2013.