RIYADH: The Capital Market Forum is expanding its global footprint with two events scheduled in Hong Kong in May and New York in October, marking a step forward in Saudi Arabia’s financial sector growth. 

The new events were announced by the CEO of the Saudi Tadawul Group at its latest edition, which is running from Feb. 18 to 20 in Riyadh and serves as a platform for fostering international investment and regulatory collaboration. 

In a panel discussion titled “Global Capital Markets: Enhancing Resilience and Connectivity,” Khalid Al-Hussan emphasized the conference’s role in strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global financial hub.

“Our market has evolved significantly. Previously, we had a single equity market accessible only to locals and residents. Today, we have two equity markets open to local, regional, and foreign investors,” Al-Hussan said, adding that foreign investment participation in the equity market has reached nearly $100 billion.

“Any investor can access any market. Any issuer can access any market. So, we need to build all the necessary components around the stock exchange to compete effectively,” he added.

Bonnie Y Chan, CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for a compelling value proposition for both issuers and investors. “We want to ensure we offer a full suite of products,” she said, acknowledging 2025 as a year of continued uncertainty despite a positive start.

Roland Chai, president of European Market Services at Nasdaq, said: “When regulation works, it protects investors, ensures seamless markets, and upholds reliability and integrity. As technology evolves, we must align regulations with market development to maintain efficiency.”

CEO of the World Federation of Exchanges, Nandini Sukumar, praised Saudi Arabia’s market transformation, describing its development in the last five years as astonishing, striking, and visible.

Al-Hussan also outlined Saudi Tadawul Group’s strategic investments in financial infrastructure, particularly in data services. “We have heavily invested in data infrastructure, and our first cloud-based product is set to launch in April,” he revealed, emphasizing the importance of trading, clearing, and settlement solutions in capital market infrastructure.

With CMF facilitating over 600 scheduled meetings between investors and issuers globally, the forum is set to bolster international collaboration and solidify the Kingdom’s position as a key player in the financial sector.

The start of day one of the CMF highlighted key global economic trends for 2025, with experts emphasizing steady growth despite market volatility, with a focus on international resilience, inflation normalization, and market performance.