Licensed trading companies and brokers in Saudi Arabia

Who supervises trading in Saudi Arabia

The Capital Market Authority (CMA) licenses and supervises capital market institutions in the Kingdom: firms that deal, arrange, advise, manage investments and funds, or hold custody of securities. Its register shows each firm and the activities it is licensed for. Listed shares are traded on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) through member firms.

A CMA licence means the firm is authorised for the activities shown against its name and is subject to CMA rules on capital, conduct and client assets. It does not mean the CMA endorses the firm, its prices or any product.

What the CMA register shows

The register lists 243 institutions. Below are the ones with Dealing among their licensed activities, which is the activity that covers executing trades. The register shows activities by type; it does not show a separate forex, CFD or gold label, and it does not publish licence numbers on the list. Where the CMA notes that a firm has not commenced an activity, or that its licence is suspended, the status column says so.

Gold trading in Saudi Arabia

Trading gold through an investment firm usually means a gold fund or a gold-linked product on the exchange, or a leveraged product such as a CFD on XAU/USD. Ask the firm which of these it offers and which licensed activity covers it, then check that activity on the register. Live gold prices are on the Invvex gold page.

How to check a firm yourself, in two steps

1. Open the regulator's own register (cma.gov.sa, link in the source column) and search for the exact legal name of the firm, not its brand or app name. Confirm the activity you need appears against that name and the status is not suspended, cancelled or under liquidation.

2. Compare that legal name with the one on the account-opening documents, the client agreement and the bank account you are asked to pay into. If the website, the contract and the register do not show the same legal entity, do not deposit.

The risks of unlicensed firms

An unlicensed firm is outside the regulator's supervision: there is no check on how it holds your money, no obligation to execute your orders fairly, and usually no complaint route that can force it to pay you back. Common signs are promises of guaranteed or fixed returns, pressure to deposit quickly, "account managers" who trade for you, requests to pay a personal or third-country bank account, and withdrawal "fees" demanded before you can take money out.

Licensed firms in the official register

69 firms. Taken from the official register as published on 2026-11-05, in the register's order, with no preference implied. Always re-check the register itself before opening an account.

What to check before opening an account

Which legal entity will hold your account, and in which country it is licensed. A group can have a licensed company in one country and serve you from another entity elsewhere, under different rules and different protections.

What you are actually trading: listed shares, or leveraged products such as CFDs and forex. Ask which licensed activity covers that product. Check the full cost (spread, commission, overnight swap), the leverage, how margin calls and stop-outs work, how client money is held, and how withdrawals are processed and how long they take.

Where complaints go. Note the regulator's complaints channel before you need it.

Frequently asked questions

Risk warning: CFDs and leveraged trading are high-risk. This content is educational, not investment advice.