The Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) saw a slight decline at the start of trading
The Saudi Stock Exchange's main index, TASI, opened Sunday's trading session, the first of the week, with a slight decline of 0.4%, losing approximately 45 points to reach 11,335 points. This performance comes on a day of symbolic importance, as the Saudi financial market continues its efforts to enhance openness to foreign investment. Trading volume in the first hour of the session reached approximately 408 million riyals, resulting from the trading of 9.16 million shares, while the total market capitalization remained stable at 9.564 trillion riyals.
Historical background: The journey of opening up to global investment
The Saudi financial market's current level of openness is not a sudden occurrence, but rather the culmination of a long process of structural reforms that accelerated with the launch of Vision 2030. In 2015, the Kingdom took a historic step by allowing Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) to directly invest in listed shares. Since then, restrictions have been gradually eased to enhance the market's attractiveness, improve its efficiency, and align it with international best practices. These efforts have culminated in the inclusion of the Saudi market in prestigious global emerging market indices such as MSCI, FTSE Russell, and S&P Dow Jones, resulting in an influx of billions of dollars from global investment funds.
The importance and expected impact of ongoing reforms
Expanding the foreign investor base is seen as a key driver for deepening the market and increasing its liquidity. Domestically, this openness contributes to improved corporate governance and transparency standards, as listed companies seek to attract global capital by adopting more mature practices. Regionally, it reinforces the position of Tadawul as the largest stock exchange in the Middle East and North Africa and a leading financial center. Internationally, these steps increase the weight of the Saudi market on the global investment map, making it an indispensable destination for investment portfolios seeking to capitalize on the growth opportunities in the Kingdom’s diversified economy.
Sector and stock performance at the start of the session
Despite the overall market decline, preliminary data revealed mixed performance among companies. Shares of 140 companies rose, while shares of 96 companies fell, out of a total of 268 companies listed on the main market. Leading the gainers were companies such as Avalon Pharma, Chubb, Saudi Cable, Al-Aseel, and Enaya. Conversely, shares of Amac, Maaden, Nadec, Al-Taamir, and Advanced were among the biggest losers.
The parallel market “Nomu” records positive performance
In a related development, the Nomu Parallel Market Index, dedicated to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), opened trading with a 0.25% increase, reaching 23,970 points. Trading volume on Nomu reached approximately SAR 1.90 million, with 115,700 shares traded. Thirteen companies listed on the parallel market saw their share prices rise, while nine others experienced declines, reflecting positive momentum in this vital sector of the market.
