Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority has opened a 123-day period for applications to obtain authorization to carry out commodity exchange activities in the Saudi market, running from July 1, 2026 to Oct. 31, 2026. The authority plans to grant one license during this round to operate as a commodity exchange in the Kingdom, with the current application period centered on trading in a secondary market for commodity and metals derivatives contracts. The move is positioned as part of efforts to expand capital market infrastructure and broaden the range of financial instruments and products available in the Saudi capital market. Authorization must be sought under the requirements in the Securities Exchanges and Depository Centers Regulations. The application window follows the revised Capital Market Law and the 2022 approval of the Securities Exchanges and Depository Centers Regulations, which provided that the authority would later set the application periods and submission mechanism for exchange and depository center authorizations. Applications for this authorization round will be accepted until Oct. 31, 2026.