Foreign investors have boosted the size of their investments in the Saudi stock market. They pumped about SAR740.5 million ($197.4 million) to buy shares of Saudi firms listed in the local market, amid a marked increase in the ownership rates of foreign investors in the local financial market. The continuous flow of foreign cash indicated the vitality of the Kingdom’s economy, on one hand, and its capital market, on the other hand. The Kingdom has become one of the 10 largest global markets in terms of market value, with approximately nine trillion riyals ($2.4 trillion). In this regard, the country’s stock market index achieved Monday new positive gains, pushing it very close to the 8,500 point barrier for the first time since August 2019. Investments of foreign non-founders in the Saudi stock market increased last week to 1.68 percent of the total market, compared to 1.65 percent at the end of the previous week. Ownership of foreign non-founder investors, include swap agreements, qualified investors, and resident investors and excludes strategic shares of the founders. Regarding the ownership of Gulf investors in the Saudi stock market, its rates increased with the end of trading last week to 0.5 percent of the total market value of listed stocks, compared to 0.49 percent at the end of the previous week. In this regard, Saudi stocks edged up on Monday, supported by gains in financial shares and a rebound by Saudi Aramco after three sessions of losses, while other Middle Eastern markets were little changed. Saudi Arabias index gained 0.2 percent as Saudi Aramco reversed course to close up 0.7 percent at SAR34.6 ($9.22), offsetting earlier losses. SABIC shares also rose by about one percent at SAR92.90 ($24.77). Shares of The Saudi French Bank closed at SAR39.20 ($10.45), up by 1.82 percent.