Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority has launched a consultation on proposed restrictions for algorithmic trading, including a cap of 20 algorithmic orders for each executed trade in a listed security during a single trading day. The cap would apply to securities on the Main Market except those classified as having very high liquidity and would be calculated for each trader registered with the Saudi Exchange who handles a market member’s and its clients’ trading activity. Capital Market Institutions would be required to maintain systems and supervisory procedures that protect market integrity and prevent algorithmic trading from disrupting the market. They would also need defined methods for developing and testing systems and algorithms before deployment, relevant recordkeeping, and the ability to provide algorithmic trading data to the Capital Market Authority and Saudi Exchange on request. The final provisions are scheduled to take effect on Nov. 1, 2026.
2026-09-24Saudi Arabia Capital Markets Authority
Saudi Arabia's Capital Market Authority launches consultation on 20-to-1 algorithmic trading order cap
Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority is consulting on a cap of 20 algorithmic orders per executed trade for most Main Market securities. Capital Market Institutions would also face requirements for algorithm governance, testing, supervision, recordkeeping and regulatory reporting, with the final provisions scheduled to take effect on Nov. 1, 2026.