Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to close at 10,866 

The best-performing stock of the day was Saudi Basic Industries Corp. Shutterstock
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Updated 21 August 2025
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Closing Bell: Saudi main index slips to close at 10,866 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged lower on Thursday, slipping 11.24 points, or 0.10 percent, to end at 10,866.83. 

The benchmark’s total trading turnover stood at SR5.21 billion ($1.38 billion), with 87 stocks advancing and 159 declining. 

Similarly, the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu fell 94.16 points, or 0.35 percent, to settle at 26,535.79, as 42 stocks gained while 51 retreated. 

Meanwhile, the MSCI Tadawul Index inched up 2.43 points, or 0.17 percent, to close at 1,409.05. 

The best-performing stock of the day was Saudi Basic Industries Corp., which jumped 7.65 percent to SR61.90. 

Other notable gainers included Sahara International Petrochemical Co., up 5.32 percent to SR20.01, and Fawaz Abdulaziz Alhokair Co., which climbed 5.17 percent to SR23.99. 

On the other hand, Halwani Bros. Co. posted the sharpest loss, falling 4.92 percent to SR43.26. 

Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology fell 3.84 percent to SR22.31, while Saudi Awwal Bank declined 3.73 percent to SR30.96.   

On the corporate announcements front, Axelerated Solutions for Information and Communication Technology Co. released its interim financial results for the period ending June 30.

According to a Tadawul statement, the company posted a net profit of SR33.8 million during the first half of the year, up 94 percent from the same period last year.  

The profit growth was mainly attributed to a 91 percent surge in gross profit to SR45.4 million, compared to SR23.8 million a year earlier, alongside an SR86.8 million increase in revenue and an SR1.8 million boost in other income.   

The company’s board also recommended distributing SR8.4 million in cash dividends to shareholders for the first half of 2025.

A Tadawul filing showed that 28 million shares are eligible, with a dividend of SR0.30 per share, equivalent to 30 percent of the share’s par value. 

Axelerated Solutions closed the session at SR28, marking a 3.70 percent gain. 

Arriyadh Development Co. announced an update on its partnership agreement with Saudi Real Estate Co. and Riyadh Holding Co. to establish a special-purpose vehicle to develop educational complexes.  

Arriyadh Development Co. ended the day at SR32.70, up 0.86 percent.  


Saudi Arabia sees 21% jump in mining sector licenses since 2016

Updated 15 December 2025
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Saudi Arabia sees 21% jump in mining sector licenses since 2016

  • The growth in the Kingdom’s mining sector licenses aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, launched in 2016

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s mining sector has shown sustained growth, with the number of mining licenses increasing from 1,985 in 2016 to 2,401 by the end of 2024, representing cumulative growth of 21 percent, according to the 2024 mineral wealth statistics from the General Authority for Statistics.

The data highlights a steady upward trend in recent years. Licenses rose to 2,100 in 2021, marking a 6 percent increase from the previous year. 

The upward trajectory continued with 2,272 licenses in 2022, 2,365 in 2023, and 2,401 in 2024, reflecting expanding exploration and investment activity across the Kingdom’s mining sector. Building material quarries accounted for the largest share of mining permits, climbing from 1,267 licenses in 2021 to 1,481 by 2024. 

Exploration licenses also recorded consistent growth, supporting the Kingdom’s broader push to develop its mineral resources. 

Other categories of mining activity saw significant expansion, including 2,554 exploration licenses, 744 exploitation licenses, 151 reconnaissance licenses, and 83 surplus mineral ore licenses issued during the same period.

The growth in the Kingdom’s mining sector licenses aligns closely with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 objectives, launched in 2016, which aim to diversify national income sources and strengthen non-oil sectors.