Selling pressure by foreigners continue in Saudi stock market

Foreigners sold a net 2.34 billion riyals ($624 million) in the Saudi stock market in the week ending Oct. 25, but the course was supported by local institutions which bought 8.06 billion riyals worth of stocks, stock exchange data showed.

The foreign selling slowed from a record 4.01 billion riyals in Saudi stocks in the previous week when investors were jolted by the kingdom's deteriorating relations with foreign powers following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The data did not break down the names of Saudi institutions supporting the market, but Reuters reported last week that the Public Investment Fund has been indirectly supporting local stocks, using local institutions, to limit a market crash caused by the killing of Khashoggi.

The Saudi stock market is up about 8 per cent year-to-date although has weakened in this quarter.

The market started to weaken before the Khashoggi incident as foreign funds slowed their buying after MSCI's announcement in June that the kingdom will be included in its global emerging market benchmark next year.