Saudi market foreign investor count hits record 160,700

The number of international investors registered in the Saudi capital market reached 160,700 by end-2025, up from 147,800 a year earlier. Net investments by those investors totaled SAR 225 billion, according to data from the Capital Market Authority.

The 9% increase extends a trend that began with the market's inclusion in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and FTSE Russell benchmarks in 2019. Index-tracking funds have poured in consistently, pushing the Tadawul All Share Index up 12% in 2025. Saudi Arabia's stock market now carries roughly a 4% weight in the MSCI EM index, making it the fourth-largest emerging-market allocation after China, India, and Taiwan.

Foreign participation has climbed from near zero when the market first opened to direct international investment in 2015. The CMA data shows the 2025 figure is a record. The regulator has gradually loosened ownership limits, and the market's total capitalization has exceeded $3 trillion since 2022, the largest in the Gulf.

The net investment figure of SAR 225 billion is reported as a net measure, meaning it accounts for capital repatriation and dividend payments alongside new purchases. The CMA's release did not break the total down by investor type or country of origin.

The record registration count suggests foreign interest remains strong even after the initial index-inclusion wave has passed. Saudi Arabia's market now ranks as the third-largest equity market in the broader EMEA region by free-float market cap, behind only the UK and Switzerland.