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Al-Jadaan detailed how the Kingdom has developed its financial sector since the launch of Vision 2030 as part of wider efforts to boost economic competitiveness and diversify the economic base. The Vision created a more flexible legislative and regulatory environment through the sector’s regulators while expanding financing and investment channels, strengthening digital infrastructure and enabling new business models and financial technologies. These developments have improved the financial system’s capacity to handle current variables and support the economy with efficiency. The minister stated that the country has transitioned to a more sustainable financial market to take advantage of emerging growth prospects.
With Vision 2030 now in its third phase known as maximizing impact, the emphasis shifts to sustaining the effects of the transformation and capitalizing on new growth opportunities, Al-Jadaan explained. This stage aims to translate the changes into more efficient markets where capital flows toward opportunities and a private sector better equipped for growth and competition. The minister added that the focus will ensure the financial market contributes effectively to the national economy’s long-term objectives.
A recent cabinet decision allows regional headquarters of financial institutions licensed by the Ministry of Investment and relevant regulators to engage in cross-border financial activities approved by the Financial Sector Development Program committee, according to Al-Jadaan. The minister indicated that this step will enhance the competitiveness of the financial environment, broaden the range of business that can be managed from the Kingdom and reinforce its position as a regional hub. The measure forms part of ongoing initiatives to position Saudi Arabia as a leading financial center in the Middle East.
The Capital Market Authority adopted a guide for issuing green, social, sustainable and sustainability-linked debt instruments in May 2025 to encourage local issuances and deepen the debt market. Authority figures show that the number of listed companies disclosing sustainability practices increased to 94 in 2024 from 81 the previous year. The disclosure rate among the top 100 companies in the main Saudi market rose to 65 percent in 2024 from 58 percent in 2023, the authority data indicated.
A new regional sustainable finance report showed Saudi Arabia as the largest issuer in the MENA region with $19.7 billion out of the total $35.1 billion issued across the area in 2025. The Kingdom’s publication of its Green Financing Framework in 2024 provided the regulatory clarity that encouraged issuance of green and sustainability-linked instruments. Financial institutions played a leading role, contributing nearly half of all sustainable finance issuance in the region that year.
