Saudi Stocks Resume Trade Activity, Jump 137 Pts

Saudi Stocks Resume Trade Activity, Jump 137 Pts
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Saudi Stocks Resume Trade Activity, Jump 137 Pts

Saudi Stocks Resume Trade Activity, Jump 137 Pts

Saudi stock market gains jumped on Tuesday with trade activity resuming after a two-day holiday celebrating the Kingdom’s 88th National Day.

Jumping 137 points, the Saudi index closed at 7,905 points on Tuesday, well above its 200-day average. Analysts read into the jump as a positive technical signal for the index.

The number of shares traded exceeded 121 million shares in over 99 thousand transactions.

In a related context, the Saudi Arabian Capital Market Authority (CMA) approved the initial public listing of 30 percent, or 6 million shares, of Gulf Steel Works Company.

"The prospectus will contain the information and data that the investor needs to know before making the investment decision or not, especially with respect to share prices and financial statements of companies," the market regulator said in a statement.

The prospectus will include all relevant information including the share price, the company's financial statements, activities and management. The document will be published within sufficient time prior to the start of the subscription period.

According to the CMA, the approval will be valid for six months from the board resolution date and will be canceled if the offering and listing of the company's shares are not completed within this period.

However, the CMA approval of the request should not be considered as an endorsement of the feasibility of the investment in the offering or in the shares of the company concerned.

The decision to approve the request means that the regulatory requirements have been complied with in accordance with the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations, the CMA’s statement added.

These developments come after the Saudi Council of Economic and Development Affairs (CEDA) approving the Financial Sector Development Program 2020, which is one of the main programs to achieve goals of the Saudi Vision 2030.

The program’s objectives include creating a diversified and effective financial services sector to support the development of the national economy, diversify its sources of income, and stimulate savings, finance, and investment by addressing the sector’s challenges.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.