Saudi Arabia records largest jump in CFA candidates

Updated 17 June 2019
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Saudi Arabia records largest jump in CFA candidates

  • egistrations grew by 21 percent in Egypt, 26 percent in Jordan and 25 percent in Saudi Arabia

LONDON: The number of Saudis enrolling for chartered financial analyst (CFA) exams has jumped by a quarter — more than in any other Gulf state.

It coincides with a push to develop the Kingdom’s financial services sector as part of the Vision 2030 blueprint for economic and social reform.

CFA Institute, the global association of investment management, said that more than 250,000 candidates have registered for the upcoming Level I, II and III CFA exams — one of the most popular qualifications for investment professionals.

 “Pursuing the CFA credential is a very rigorous process, with less than one in five candidates successfully completing the process to earn the charter,” said Paul Smith, CFA, president and CEO, CFA Institute. “We are gratified to see the record number of candidates willing to put in the work continue to grow each year. Especially in new markets around the world where finance plays such a vital role in building strong economies.” 

The Middle East had a strong representation in the global mix, with 6,004 investment professionals from eight GCC and Middle East countries enrolling for the CFA exams — up 5 percent on last year.

Registrations grew by 21 percent in Egypt, 26 percent in Jordan and 25 percent in Saudi Arabia. 

The UAE continues to see the largest number of new candidates in the Middle East, with 2,136 individuals registering for the exam.

 

 

 


Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

Updated 16 February 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Monday, losing 44.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,183.85.

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.05 billion ($1.08 billion), as 69 of the listed stocks advanced, while 191 retreated.

The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 6.63 points or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,504.73.

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 328.20 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 23,764.92. This comes as 22 of the listed stocks advanced, while 49 retreated.

The best-performing stock was Maharah Human Resources Co., with its share price surging by 7.26 percent to SR6.50.

Other top performers included Arabian Cement Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.27 percent to SR22.71, and Saudi Research and Media Group, which saw a 4.3 percent increase to SR104.30.

On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co., whose share price fell by 8.01 percent to SR207.80.

Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology and Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.61 percent and 4.46 percent to SR12.79 and SR75, respectively.

On the announcement front, Etihad Etisalat Co. announced its financial results for 2025 with a 7.9 percent year-on-year growth in its revenues, to reach SR19.6 billion.

In a Tadawul statement, Mobily said that this growth is attributed to “the expansion of all revenue streams, with a healthy growth in the overall subscriber base.”

Mobily delivered an 11.6 percent increase in net profit, reaching SR3.4 billion in 2025 compared to SR3.1 billion in 2024.

The company’s share price reached SR67.85, marking a 0.37 percent increase on the main market.