There is a thriving investment funds market on the Tadawul, supported by specialist CMA regulations that cover public, private, real estate, and foreign investments, and which were only recently updated in 2021 to strengthen the governance of funds and attract institutional investors. Additionally, the Tadawul has specific regulations for Exchange Traded Funds (index tracking funds whose units are traded on the exchange – ETFs). Foreign investment in Saudi-listed funds is expressly permitted, except where the manager of the fund has obtained a formal exemption from the CMA. Foreign unitholders are not permitted, however, in private real estate funds investing in the holy cities of Makkah and Medina due to separate legal restrictions.
