Corporate Debt Financing and Capital Structure Optimization for Large-Scale Infrastructure Investment under Saudi Vision 2030

The financing arrangements required by the major infrastructure projects described in Saudi Vision 2030 must be such as to draw in a large amount of private capital without ending up with leverage positions that weaken should there be changes in interest rates, construction costs, demand, or the circumstances under which the debt can be refinanced. This study examines how corporate debt financing and the structure of capital can be improved for the Saudi infrastructure sponsors and the project companies in question. In order to bring together the findings relating to leverage, debt maturity, project finance, sukuk and bonds, risk allocation, refinancing, and sustainability-linked finance, a systematic and integrated review of studies and evidence from Saudi institutions published between 2020 and 2025 was conducted. The evidence indicates that there is no single debt ratio which is optimal in all situations. The level of debt that can be taken on in infrastructure projects varies according to the stability and the quality of the contractual terms of the project's cash flows, the degree of construction and operating risk, the strength of the sponsor, the availability of collateral, the matching of maturities, currency exposure, and the credibility of the risk-sharing arrangements. Even though Saudi Arabia's rapidly expanding sukuk and debt markets increase the range of financing alternatives available, the growing volume of issuances also makes it more necessary to maintain disciplined debt service coverage, keep sufficient liquidity buffers, and plan for refinancing. The review proposes a dynamic optimisation framework which treats the capital structure as a decision that should be made throughout the whole lifecycle of the project rather than as a single, one-off decision regarding funding. It recommends combining specific leverage limits for each project, long-term debt, a variety of funding sources, clear risk allocation, and periodic re-optimisation. This approach will help to lower funding costs on a risk-adjusted basis while at the same time protecting the company's solidity and encouraging private sector participation in the infrastructure projects under Vision 2030.