Tadawul attracts over $130B foreign investments in past decade: Official

Nayef Al Athel, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Saudi Tadawul Group

Nayef Al Athel, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Saudi Tadawul Group, said the local capital market has attracted more than $130 billion in foreign investments over the past 8 to 10 years. This reflects the attractiveness of the market and its listed companies to international investors.

Speaking to Argaam, Al Athel said these inflows came through the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) program, noting that the program's removal in February opened the market to a broader range of foreign investors, including retail investors, allowing them to invest directly in the Saudi capital market.

He added that the group continues to see investors entering the market from new countries and regions, highlighting the diversity of investment opportunities in the Kingdom and the growing interest of international investors in the Saudi market.

Al Athel noted that Tadawul continues to promote investment opportunities in the Saudi capital market by organizing conferences and roadshows across several global financial centers.

He said the Capital Markets Forum was launched in Riyadh before expanding to Hong Kong and London. This year, the group plans to hold events in Shanghai, London, and the Red Sea, aiming to showcase Saudi Arabia's investment story to both institutional and individual foreign investors.

Commenting on the key factors attracting foreign investors, Al Athel said investors primarily seek the best investment opportunities driven by supply and demand dynamics. He stressed that the Saudi capital market reflects the Kingdom's economic growth, supported by the diversity of companies listed on both the Main Market and Nomu, in addition to the continued expansion of the sukuk and bond market.

He added that Saudi Arabia offers a vast number of investment opportunities that remain firmly on the radar of foreign investors.

Regarding the Saudi Capital Market Awards 2025, Al Athel said the number of participating companies rose to 125, compared with around 25–30 companies when the awards were launched in 2019. He noted that the awards have helped raise standards of disclosure and investor relations while fostering greater competition among listed companies.

He added that several companies that ranked near the bottom in the awards' early editions have since advanced to leading positions in later editions, reflecting significant improvements in their investor relations, corporate governance, and disclosure practices.