Trending 
Saudi Arabia will open its financial markets to all foreign investors from February 1, as it moves to attract more overseas capital.
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) announced the decision on Tuesday, saying it has approved rule changes to ease access to the Saudi capital market.
Under the new rules, the CMA has removed the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) framework, which previously limited direct market access to select international investors that met specific criteria.
“The approved amendments eliminated the concept of the Qualified Foreign Investor in the Main Market, thereby allowing all categories of foreign investors to access the market without the need to meet qualification requirements,” the capital markets regulator said in a statement.
The change will allow investors from around the world to invest directly in Saudi-listed assets.
The regulator said the move is expected to support foreign inflows and improve market liquidity.
Saudi Arabia is more than halfway through a wide-ranging economic reform programme aimed at reducing its dependence on oil revenue.
As part of this effort, the country has stepped up measures to attract foreign investment, including partnerships with Asian markets such as Japan and Hong Kong to launch exchange-traded funds.
Last year, regulators also allowed foreign investors to buy shares in listed companies that own real estate in Mecca and Medina, while keeping restrictions on direct land ownership in place.
Saudi stocks rose in September 2025 after reports that the CMA was considering easing limits on foreign ownership of listed companies.
According to the CMA, international investors held about 590 billion riyals ($157 billion) in Saudi capital market assets at the end of the third quarter last year.
