6 days after the opening of the Saudi financial market to foreign investors
The decision of the Capital Market Authority enters into effect, opening the financial market to all categories of Foreign investors and enabling them to invest directly will come into effect after 6 days, starting from next February 1.
The Board of Directors of The main market, which supports the flow of investments and enhances the level of liquidity.
The approved amendments abolished the concept of the qualified foreign investor in the main market, allowing all categories of foreign investors to enter the market without the need to fulfill the qualification requirements, in addition to canceling the regulatory framework for swap agreements that were used as an option to enable non-resident foreign investors to obtain the economic benefits only of listed securities, and allowing direct investment in stocks listed in the main market.
590 billion riyals
And ownership was International investors in the financial market amounted to more than 590 billion riyals by the end of the third quarter of 2025, while international investments in the main market recorded about 519 billion riyals during the same period, that is, an increase from the size of their ownership at the end of 2024, which then amounted to 498 billion riyals. It is expected that the approved amendments will contribute to attracting more international investments. It is noteworthy that the Capital Market Authority approved in July 2025 facilitating procedures for opening investment accounts. It operates a number of categories of investors, which include natural foreign investors residing in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, or those who have previously resided in the Kingdom or in one of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which is considered an interim step toward the decision that was announced today, with the aim of increasing the level of confidence of participants in the main market, and enhancing support for the local economy.
Capital Attraction
These approved amendments come in line with the Authority’s gradual approach to opening the market after a number of previous stages, which will be followed by complementary stages to enhance the opening of the market. Finance, and make it an international market that attracts more foreign capital.
The Capital Market Authority had published in October 2025 AD "Draft regulatory framework to allow non-resident foreign investors to invest directly in the main market" On the unified electronic platform for polling the opinions of the public and government agencies affiliated with the National Competitiveness Center (Survey) and the Authority’s electronic website.
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