Capital Markets

In June 2015, Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange entered a new era by opening to foreign participation, an event that has one of the most keenly anticipated financial events in the region. Yet this is only the latest step in a longer process of market reform that has seen the exchange evolve from a single-product market to an increasingly diverse investment platform. With a raft of regulatory changes in the pipeline, including alterations to the organisational structure of the exchange and its relationship with the regulator, the coming year promises to be an interesting one for Tadawul’s broadening base of market participants. This chapter includes interviews with Mohammed Al Jadaan, Chairman, Capital Market Authority (CMA); Adel Al Ghamdi, CEO, Saudi Stock Exchange; and John Sfakianakis, Middle East Director, Ashmore Group.