RIYADH — The ownership of foreign investors in the Saudi stock market jumped to SR404.26 billion. Foreign investors own shares in 211 out of 215 companies listed on the main stock market Tadawul All Share Index (TASI). There is no ownership for foreign investors in companies such as Knowledge City, Jabal Omar, Taiba, Makkah Construction, in addition to Bahri Company, in which the foreign investors own a paltry percentage of 0.02 since its establishment, according to monitoring by Okaz/Saudi Gazette. Foreign ownership in the Saudi market is equivalent to 3.36 percent of the total market value of the listed companies. The stakes of foreign investors in 11 strategically placed companies are as follows: Petro Rabigh 37.5 percent; Al-Sharq Pipes 35 percent, SABB 31 percent, Arab National Bank 40 percent, Allianz SF 51 percent, Walaa Insurance 7.32 percent, BUPA Insurance 43.25 percent, Chubb Arabia 30 percent, Gulf Union National 1.93 percent, and Al Wataniya Company 10 percent. The ownership of strategic foreign investors in Wafa Insurance Company, which was suspended from trading, amounted to 10.14 percent. The highest value of shares owned by foreign investors is in the top five Saudi companies — Al-Rajhi Bank, Saudi National Bank (SNB), SABB, Saudi Aramco and SABIC. Foreign investment in these companies amounted to a total of SR188.76 billion. The value of foreign investment in Al-Rajhi Bank was about SR54.47 billion, representing 13.19 percent of its shares, in SNB was SR41.42 billion (12.81 percent of the total shares), and in SABB was SR34.52 billion (40.43 percent). Foreigners own shares worth about SR29.96 billion in Saudi Aramco and SR28.39 billion in SABIC.
