Saudi market authority refers 10 suspects to Public Prosecution for manipulative, misleading practices

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Updated 30 December 2020
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Saudi market authority refers 10 suspects to Public Prosecution for manipulative, misleading practices

  • The suspects carried out practices that involved manipulation and fraud in market trades

Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) referred 10 investors to the Public Prosecution for violating Article (49) of the Capital Market Law and Article (8) of the Market Conduct Regulations, the market regulator said in a statement.

The suspects carried out practices that involved manipulation and fraud in market trades, by entering purchase or sale orders for the purpose of influencing the price of the security, and trading (by purchasing) in the shares of a number of listed companies.

Following this, they promoted opinions via the social media platform, Twitter, for the purpose of influencing the price of the security, then trading (by selling) the shares of the listed companies affected by the promoted opinions.

The suspicious cases included affecting the shares prices of 46 companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), during the period from Feb.17, 2020, until Sept. 21, 2020.

The authority stressed that it will not hesitate, in pursuit of prosecuting manipulators in the capital market, to supervise their dealings, based on its powers under the Capital Market Law, and the advanced technology means it possesses that enable it to supervise all dealings and monitor suspicious cases and take the necessary legal procedures, in accordance with the laws and regulations, in order to achieve the CMA’s objectives toward enhancing the market efficiency and protecting the participant in it from illegal practices, beside ensuring they are not subject to cheating or manipulation.

The CMA noted that the General Secretariat of Committees for Resolution of Securities Disputes announced to the public the identities of violators on its website upon the issuance of final decisions regarding criminal cases.

Moreover, any person affected by these violations is entitled to file a compensation claim, after conviction, against the violators, before to the Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes as per Article 57 of the Capital Market Law, provided that such claim is preceded by a complaint filed to the CMA.

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Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,894

Updated 13 January 2026
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index rises to 10,894

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index extended its upward trend for a third consecutive day this week, gaining 148.18 points, or 1.38 percent, to close at 10,893.63 on Tuesday. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR6.05 billion ($1.61 billion), with 144 listed stocks advancing and 107 declining. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also rose by 81.35 points to close at 23,668.29. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index edged up 1.71 percent to 1,460.89. 

The best-performing stock on the main market was Zahrat Al Waha for Trading Co., with its share price advancing 10 percent to SR2.75. 

Shares of CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co. increased 8.27 percent to SR23.04, while Abdullah Saad Mohammed Abo Moati for Bookstores Co. saw its stock climb 6.17 percent to SR50.60. 

Conversely, the share price of Naseej International Trading Co. declined 9.90 percent to SR31.48. 

On the announcements front, Arabian Drilling Co. said it secured three contract extensions for land rigs with energy giant Saudi Aramco, totaling SR1.4 billion and adding 25 active rig years to its backlog. 

In a Tadawul statement, the company said one rig is currently operational, the second will begin operations by the end of January, and the third — currently suspended — is expected to resume operations in 2026. 

Since November 2025, Arabian Drilling has secured seven contract extensions amounting to SR3.4 billion, representing 55 committed rig years. 

The three contracts have durations of 10 years, 10 years, and five years, respectively.

“Securing a total of SR1.4 billion in new contracts and expanding our backlog by 25 rig-years demonstrates both the trust our clients place in us and our ability to consistently deliver quality and reliability,” said Ghassan Mirdad, CEO of Arabian Drilling, in a statement. 

Shares of Arabian Drilling Co. rose 3.15 percent to SR104.70. 

Separately, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. said it signed a 36-month contract valued at SR43.35 million with National Water Co. to operate and maintain water networks, pumping stations, wells, reservoirs, and related facilities in Tabuk. 

In October, Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. announced it had been awarded the contract by NWC. 

In a Tadawul statement, the company said the financial impact of the deal began in the fourth quarter of 2025. 

The share price of Alkhorayef Water and Power Technologies Co. declined 0.49 percent to SR120.70.