Saudi Exchange approves SNB Capital as market maker for Almarai, Al Rajhi and SABIC starting today
SNB Capital began market-making activities today, Monday, 5 October 2026, on three of the Saudi Main Market’s leading stocks: Almarai, Al Rajhi Bank and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), after the Saudi Exchange approved the company’s request. The move aims to support liquidity and improve order-execution efficiency for the covered stocks.
According to an announcement by the Saudi Exchange, reported by Argaam, the arrangements take effect from today’s trading session, with specific requirements applying to the market maker regarding the percentage of time orders must be present in the order book, their minimum size and the maximum bid-ask spread.
What are the market maker’s obligations for the three stocks?
The rules set a minimum order presence of 80% for each of the three stocks, while the maximum bid-ask spread is 0.65%. The minimum order size for Almarai is SAR 75,000, compared with SAR 250,000 for each of Al Rajhi Bank and SABIC. No minimum traded-value requirement applies under these arrangements.
The Saudi Exchange explains that market-making activities are carried out in accordance with the approved market-making regulations and procedures. In practice, the concept is based on the regular presence of buy and sell orders in line with specified obligations, helping narrow price gaps and provide additional liquidity for investors, without implying a guarantee of any particular price direction for the stock.
Three heavyweight stocks on the Main Market
The selection of Almarai, Al Rajhi and SABIC gives the move notable weight, as the three companies operate in different sectors and have a significant presence in the Saudi market. The start of the activity also comes as the market moves amid rapid changes in expectations for global interest rates and energy prices—factors that increase the importance of liquidity depth and trade-execution efficiency.
Data from Argaam available during today’s session indicates that the TASI index was trading near the 10,500-point level, with mixed stock performance. This makes monitoring the impact of the new market-making arrangements on trading volumes and bid-ask spreads over the coming sessions more important than judging them based on a single day’s movement.
Market making expands on the Saudi Exchange
This is not the first move of its kind. In August 2026, the Saudi Exchange announced that it had approved SNB Capital as a market maker for MT30 Index futures and single-stock futures for several major companies, as part of efforts to develop the derivatives market and enhance liquidity. The Saudi Exchange’s market makers’ guide sets out the presence, size and spread requirements applicable to the covered securities.
For investors, the presence of a market maker does not eliminate investment risks or constitute a buy or sell signal; its primary role is to provide bid and ask prices within specified ranges and under defined regulatory obligations. Company results, valuations and economic conditions therefore remain independent factors that should be considered when making any investment decision.
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Sources
- Saudi Exchange — regulations and market makers’ guide.
- Argaam — details of the approval and the start of activity on 5 October 2026.
This is news content and does not constitute investment advice.
