Saudi Stocks Trading Resumes Amid Global Rise of Oil Prices

Saudi Stocks Trading Resumes Amid Global Rise of Oil Prices
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Saudi Stocks Trading Resumes Amid Global Rise of Oil Prices

Saudi Stocks Trading Resumes Amid Global Rise of Oil Prices

The Saudi stock exchange resumes Sunday, following Eid al-Fitr. This comes amid a significant rise in oil prices, with the closing of last week's trading, which pushed Brent crude to close above $ 63 a barrel.

Trading is expected to commence with a qualitative flow of local and foreign capitals in which investors would target several firms that reported positive fiscal results during Q1 of 2019.

Today’s session is the fourth after the completion of the first phase of the local capital market inclusion in the MSCI. The index achieved gains of 134 points following the inclusion to the Emerging Markets Index, while monetary liquidity witnessed during last week’s trading a rise of 112 percent compared to the week before.

Saudi's index closed May’s trading at 8,516 points, proving the vitality of the local market and the positive performance at the same time.

In the same context, investors are anticipating a more positive performance for the Saudi stock market, as the listed companies are expected to continue their positive financial performance in the second quarter of this year. The listed firms’ results showed financial performance progress of 85 firms, with profits of SAR23.1 billion (USD6.1 billion) during Q1 of the current year.

Earlier, MSCI said 30 Saudi Arabian securities would be added, representing an aggregate weight of 1.42% in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.