The Saudi Stock Market (Tadawul) — a Trader’s Overview
The main stock exchange of the region: how Tadawul works, and how global markets complement it for traders in the region.
Open Exness Account →The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) is the main stock market of Saudi Arabia and the wider region, tracked by the TASI index and home to Saudi Aramco. Global share, index, gold and oil CFDs trade in the Gulf evening and complement local-market hours.
Tadawul facts
- The Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) is the main stock exchange of Saudi Arabia and a central market of the wider region.
- Its headline index is TASI (Tadawul All Share Index), tracking listed Saudi companies across more than 20 sectors.
- Saudi Aramco listed on Tadawul in 2019 — a landmark event for the exchange.
- Tadawul trades Sunday to Thursday, 10:00–15:10 Riyadh time — 5 sessions per week aligned with the regional working week.
- The regular NASDAQ/NYSE session (09:30–16:00 New York time) corresponds to roughly 16:30–23:00 in Riyadh during US summer time — evening hours after Tadawul closes.
- Many traders complement local-market exposure with CFDs on international shares, indices, gold and oil, which trade during those evening hours and (for crypto) around the clock.
- International markets also allow short positions via CFDs — something to weigh against the risks of leveraged products.
Tadawul day vs global CFD evening
| Tadawul (local shares) | Global CFDs (via a broker) | |
|---|---|---|
| Session (Riyadh time) | 10:00–15:10 | US stocks ≈ 16:30–23:00; forex/gold ≈ 24/5; crypto 24/7 |
| Trading days | Sunday–Thursday | Monday–Friday (crypto: 7 days) |
| Short selling | Restricted | Built into CFDs |
| Instruments | Listed Saudi companies | Shares, indices, gold, oil, forex, crypto |
Frequently asked questions
What is TASI?
The Tadawul All Share Index — the headline index of the Saudi Exchange, covering listed Saudi companies across sectors.
Can international stocks be traded alongside Tadawul?
Yes. CFDs on US and global shares trade during the US session, which falls in the Gulf evening — outside Tadawul’s daytime hours.