Nasdaq Dubai has announced the names of 12 Saudi Arabian companies on which the exchange will launch equity futures in September.

The 12 companies are some of the Middle East’s largest businesses, active in sectors from real estate and petrochemicals to banking and transport. Their combined market capitalisation is SR859 billion ($229 billion), representing 43 per cent of the market capitalisation of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul), the largest exchange in the region.

The companies are: Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic);Al Rajhi Bank;Alinma Bank; Almarai Company; Dar Al Arkan Real Estate Development Company; Etihad Etisalat Company; Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company; Saudi Arabian Mining Company; Saudi Cement Company; Saudi Electricity Company; Saudi Kayan Petrochemical Company; and Altayyar Travel Group.

Hamed Ali, chief executive of Nasdaq Dubai, said: “We are delighted to provide investors with new hedging and leverage tools that support their ability to play an active role in the Saudi equity market through trading our futures. The launch of these products in Dubai reflects the growing synergies between the capital markets of the GCC.”

Nasdaq Dubai’s futures will enable investors to make gains whether share prices are rising or falling. This will stimulate further investor interest in the Saudi capital markets. The single stock futures will be traded on Nasdaq Dubai in Saudi riyals, which is the currency of the underlying shares.

The TASI share index of the Tadawul has risen 16 per cent so far this year and traded value on the exchange has reached SR475 billion, up 9 per cent from the same period last year. MSCI and FTSE Russell announced earlier this year that they will upgrade Saudi Arabia to Emerging Market status. – TradeArabia News Service