Yazeed Saleh Aldemaigi, the Deputy for Strategy and International Affairs at Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority, announced at the Financial Sector Conference in Riyadh on Thursday that the market regulator is exploring the possibility of creating a legal framework that would allow special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) to list in the country.
However, Aldemaigi did not provide any specific timeline for when this framework might be implemented. In addition, he suggested that options trading may also be permitted in Saudi Arabia as part of a broader trend of regional exchanges permitting derivatives trading. Aldemaigi further revealed that the regulator is currently reviewing the initial public offering plans of 80 companies, indicating that the pipeline for new listings in the country remains robust, despite weakening market conditions in the region.