Saudi Stock Value Market Exceeds $2.13 Trillion

Investors monitor a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) (Reuters)
Investors monitor a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) (Reuters)
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Saudi Stock Value Market Exceeds $2.13 Trillion

Investors monitor a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) (Reuters)
Investors monitor a screen displaying stock information at the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) (Reuters)

The market value of Saudi stocks exceeded $2.13 trillion dollars driven by 200 points increase in the market index, as a jump in oil prices and positive corporate earnings from the banking sector boosted the stocks.

Saudi Aramco closed at 1.3 percent at 32.35 riyals above its initial public offering price of $8.6, for the first time in 70 days.

The shares of 138 listed companies closed positively on Monday and cash liquidity jumped to levels close to $1.36 billion registering a 27-percent increase compared to Sunday.

Saudi Arabia's index surged 1.4 percent, a 96-points increase, amid active trading compared to the previous sessions.

Meanwhile, about 80 Saudi companies listed in the local market announced their financial results for Q1 of 2020, with 44 companies recording an improvement in their performance, compared to 36 companies that have seen a decline.

The remaining 100 companies are expected to announce their financial results soon, which will affect their shares during the announcement period.

Oil prices climbed on Monday, supported by output cuts and signs of gradual demand recovery amid easing coronavirus curbs and resumption of economic activity.

The booming oil markets also influenced the Saudi stock, as Brent crude jumped 6.1 percent at $34.49 a barrel, while Nimex had a 9 percent increase, exceeding $32 a barrel.

Notably, Saudi index is approaching the 7000-point barrier as traders hope that the market index will exceed this barrier before closing for Eid el-Fitr, backed by the oil prices, given that they improve or maintain the same current levels.



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.