Alwaleed’s Kingdom is said to revive talks for $1bn loan

Kingdom Holding Co is reviving talks to raise about $1bn in loans, weeks after its chairman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was released from detention, people familiar with the matter said.The investment firm restarted talks with local and international lenders about the financing backed by its stake in Banque Saudi Fransi, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Talks were put on hold in November after Alwaleed was arrested as part of an anti-corruption crackdown, people said at the time.Alwaleed, the 65th-richest person in the world, was among princes, ministers and senior officials who were held at the Ritz-Carlton for almost three months. He told Reuters in January that his detention was a “misunderstanding.” Alwaleed in September bought a 16.2% stake in Saudi Fransi from Credit Agricole SA through Kingdom Holding using “available liquidity and current credit facilities” in a deal valued at about $1.54bn.The investment firm is now Saudi Fransi’s largest shareholder, adding to an extensive portfolio that includes a Citigroup Inc stake, which the prince has held since 1991. Kingdom Holding, in which Alwaleed owns 95%, is also an investor in Twitter Inc and Accor Hotels.Kingdom Holding shares have fallen 12% since his November 4 detention, giving the company a market capitalisation of about $9bn. A spokesman for Kingdom Holding didn’t respond to requests for comment.