Saudi Arabia

Economy & industry overview

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter and a founding OPEC member, with hydrocarbons historically accounting for the majority of government revenues and export earnings. The economy had a nominal GDP of approximately USD 1.28 trillion in 2025 and is among the twenty largest economies globally. Under the Vision 2030 reform agenda, the government is pursuing diversification into mining (Saudi Arabia holds an estimated USD 1.3 trillion in untapped mineral resources), tourism, entertainment, financial services, and renewable energy, with the Public Investment Fund (PIF) acting as the primary transformation vehicle. The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) ranks among the top ten exchanges globally by market capitalization at approximately USD 2.35 trillion as of end-2025, and was reclassified as an Emerging Market by MSCI in 2019, significantly increasing its profile among international institutional investors. Capital market liberalization continued in early 2026 when the CMA removed the Qualified Foreign Investor framework, allowing unrestricted direct foreign access to Tadawul for the first time.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$1.28T
GDP growth real, annual	4.0%
Inflation annual	2.1%
Population people	36.4M
GDP per capita USD	$35,460
Market cap total listed, USD	$2.35T
Market cap / GDP	184.0%
Unemployment	7.2%
Listed companies	385
Exchange	Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) (TADAWUL)

Data year: 2025. Sources: IMF World Economic Outlook April 2026 (GDP, growth, inflation, per capita data), IMF Article IV 2025 concluding statement for Saudi Arabia, companiesmarketcap.com — Saudi Arabia top companies by market cap (June 2026), iShares KSA ETF Fact Sheet March 31, 2026 (BlackRock/iShares), iShares EEM ETF Fact Sheet March 31, 2026 (BlackRock/iShares), Greenberg Traurig LLP — Saudi Arabia abolishes QFI status Jan 2026, Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) / Tadawul Group — listed company and market cap data, Vision 2030 Saudi Arabia official site — sector priorities, Immigrantinvest.com / Visaindex.com — Saudi Premium Residency 2026 guide, GCC Business Watch — IMF raises Saudi growth forecast to 4%, Interactive Brokers / SNB Capital partnership announcement (est.), World Bank population and unemployment data (est. 2025), Statista — Saudi Arabia GDP per capita 2025.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Saudi Exchange (Tadawul)
Code	TADAWUL
Website	www.saudiexchange.sa
Currency	SAR

Local broker access

Following the February 2026 QFI abolition, access has broadened significantly. Interactive Brokers (IBKR) launched direct Tadawul access through a partnership with SNB Capital in late 2024, allowing global clients to trade Saudi equities, REITs, and ETFs from a unified IBKR account. Saxo Bank offers access to Tadawul-listed securities through its global platform. Local Saudi brokers such as SNB Capital, Al Rajhi Capital, Aljazira Capital, and Riyad Capital are CMA-licensed and can onboard foreign investors. Foreigners must complete KYC/AML requirements; a Saudi bank account is not strictly required for trading via international brokers. For residents, any of the major Saudi retail banks with brokerage arms can open accounts upon presentation of a valid Iqama (residency permit).

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only — not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Effective February 1, 2026, Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority (CMA) abolished the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) framework, opening Tadawul to all international investors including individual retail traders without prior asset-under-management thresholds. Foreign investors are now subject to an aggregate ownership cap of 49% per listed company and a 10% individual non-resident ownership ceiling per company. Foreign residents in Saudi Arabia may invest locally through any licensed Saudi brokerage. Non-resident foreigners must open a brokerage account with a CMA-licensed Saudi firm or access the market through international brokers with direct Tadawul connectivity. Certain strategic sectors (defense, certain utilities) may retain additional restrictions on foreign ownership.