Saudi main market sheds SAR 181.84 billion in one week

Summary

• Saudi main market capitalisation fell 1.97%, or SAR 181.84 billion, in the week ended 15 October 2026.
• Foreign institutions were net sellers of SAR 759.78 million; Saudi corporates net buyers of SAR 799.68 million.
• The split shows domestic companies absorbing stock that foreign investors offloaded during the decline.

The latest

The Saudi main market lost SAR 181.84 billion of value in a single week, with capitalisation closing at SAR 9,030.39 billion on 15 October 2026 against SAR 9,212.23 billion a week earlier, according to Saudi Exchange weekly data carried by Argaam. The 1.97% drop coincided with foreign investors turning net sellers and domestic corporates stepping in on the buy side.

Details

• The headline figure: Market capitalisation of the Saudi main market stood at SAR 9,030.39 billion at the close of the week ended 15 October 2026, down from SAR 9,212.23 billion on 8 October, per Saudi Exchange data cited by Argaam. The decline of SAR 181.84 billion equals 1.97% of the market's value in five trading sessions.
• Foreign ownership: Foreign investors held 4.58% of total market capitalisation and 12.24% of free float by the end of the week, according to the same data. The value of those holdings fell to SAR 413.89 billion from SAR 425.65 billion the previous week, a decline of SAR 11.76 billion.
• Foreign institutions: Foreign institutional investors were net sellers of SAR 759.78 million over the week, the data showed. That figure accounts for the bulk of the selling attributed to non-Saudi investors as a whole during the same period.
• Total foreign flows: Across all categories of foreign investors, net sales reached SAR 930.29 million for the week. The gap between that total and the institutional figure of SAR 759.78 million indicates additional selling from other foreign investor classes.
• Domestic buyers: Saudi corporates were net buyers of SAR 799.68 million during the week, according to the exchange data carried by Argaam. The size of that purchase closely matches the combined foreign net selling, placing local companies on the other side of the outflow.
• Government entities: Government-linked entities were net sellers of SAR 130.98 million over the week. The value of their holdings fell by SAR 114.24 billion, a decline driven overwhelmingly by the drop in market prices rather than by the size of their trading activity.
• Price versus flow: The scale of the SAR 181.84 billion fall in market value dwarfs the weekly trading flows reported on either side, which ran in the hundreds of millions of riyals. The data covers ownership and net trading positions and does not set out the drivers behind the price move.
• Reporting timeline: The figures relate to the week ended 15 October 2026 and were published by Argaam on 18 October 2026, drawing on Saudi Exchange weekly ownership and trading reports.

Background

Saudi Exchange publishes weekly ownership and trading reports breaking down holdings and net positions by investor category, including foreign institutions, individuals, Saudi corporates and government entities. The series is the standard reference for tracking non-Saudi participation in the main market.

Between the lines

Foreign net sales of SAR 930.29 million and Saudi corporate net purchases of SAR 799.68 million are close enough in size to suggest local companies absorbed most of what non-Saudi investors released. Yet both figures are small against a SAR 181.84 billion fall in capitalisation, indicating repricing across the market rather than flow pressure alone explains the weekly loss.

What's next

The next Saudi Exchange weekly ownership and trading report will show whether foreign institutions extended their selling into the following week and whether Saudi corporates continued buying, alongside any recovery in the 4.58% foreign ownership share.

Source: Saudi Exchange, Argaam