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RIYADH: ����ֱ��’s Tadawul All Share Index closed lower on Monday, falling 70.90 points, or 0.65 percent, to end the session at 10,885.32.  

The total trading turnover on the main market reached SR4.61 billion ($1.2 billion), with 546.78 million shares traded. A total of 72 stocks advanced while 177 declined. 

The MSCI Tadawul 30 Index also dropped, losing 10.55 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 1,399.41. 

On the Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu, the index declined by 209.73 points, or 0.78 percent, to finish at 26,781.28. Of the listed companies, 31 gained while 49 fell. 

Sport Clubs Co. led the gainers, rising 9.92 percent to SR11.19. It was followed by SHL Finance Co., which advanced 6.47 percent to SR23.85, and Allied Cooperative Insurance Group, which rose 6.13 percent to SR11.43. 

Riyadh Cables Co. posted a gain of 4.73 percent, while Saudi Co. for Hardware rose 3 percent. 

On the other hand, Tourism Enterprise Co. recorded the sharpest decline of the session, falling 9.84 percent to SR1.10. Banque Saudi Fransi dropped 5.26 percent to SR16.92, while Raydan Food Co. fell 4.07 percent to SR13.66.  

Thob Al Aseel Co. declined by 3.93 percent, while Northern Region Cement Co. fell 3.89 percent. 

On the announcement front, Al Majeed Oud Co. reported a 19.6 percent year-on-year increase in revenue for the first half of 2025, reaching SR618.8 million compared to SR517.2 million in the same period last year.  

The company also posted a 21.5 percent rise in net profit, which grew to SR145.2 million from SR119.5 million over the same timeframe. 

According to the company, the increase in sales was driven by the performance of newly launched products, retail network expansion, growth in its e-commerce platform, and targeted marketing campaigns during the Ramadan and Hajj seasons.  

It attributed the rise in net profit to the same commercial factors, along with improved operational efficiency measures. 

Shares of Al Majeed Oud Co. closed at SR130, down 1.52 percent. 

Raoom Trading Co. reported a 13.7 percent year-on-year decline in revenue for the first half of 2025, with sales falling to SR51.5 million from SR59.7 million in the same period last year.  

Net profit also dropped sharply, falling 91.9 percent to SR2.2 million from SR28.3 million. 

The company attributed the decline in revenue to lower average selling prices driven by market conditions and a reduction in sales volumes. 

The fall in net profit was also linked to a SR3 million loss from the revaluation of financial assets at fair value, compared to a gain of SR14.8 million in the corresponding period of 2024. 

Shares of Raoom Trading Co. closed at SR60.55, down 1.54 percent. 

RIYADH: Expatriate remittances from ����ֱ�� rose to SR15.2 billion ($4.05 billion) in May, marking a 21 percent increase compared to the same month last year. 

According to data by the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA, transfers by non-Saudis reached nearly SR70 billion during the first five months of 2024, an annual rise of almost 26 percent. 

Money sent abroad by Saudi citizens reached SR29.8 billion, up 13 percent year on year, the central bank’s monthly bulletin showed. 

The significant uptick in outbound transfers reflects several economic and social factors shaping the Kingdom’s labor market and remittance behavior. Among these are the rising number of foreign workers, improving wages, and growing reliance on digital payment solutions that facilitate cross-border transfers more efficiently. 

����ֱ�� is home to more than 16.41 million non-Saudis as of May, who make up over 44 percent of the population, according to data by Global Media Insight. As the Kingdom continues to develop under Vision 2030, many expats are taking on higher-paying jobs in health care, construction, logistics, and technology sectors. 

Improved career opportunities have led to increased disposable income, part of which is regularly sent back to support families in their countries of origin. 

In the Expat Insider 2024 survey conducted by international expat network InterNations, 75 percent of expatriates in the Kingdom said their career prospects had improved significantly since relocating to ����ֱ��. 

This placed the country second globally in the “Working Abroad Index,” just behind Denmark. The findings reflect growing expat satisfaction and underscore the rising earning potential in the Saudi labor market. 

Fintech adoption has also contributed to the remittance boom. Companies like stc pay, UrPay, and Tahweel Al-Rajhi offer fast and affordable remittance services integrated with mobile wallets, enabling low-cost and convenient international transfers. 

According to a 2024 World Bank brief, the average cost of sending $200 from ����ֱ�� was 5.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, making it one of the least costly G20 countries for remittance outflows.

In comparison, the G20 average stood at 6.5 percent, with countries like South Africa at 12.8 percent and Japan at 7 percent ranking among the highest. The global average cost for remittances was 6.4 percent, well above the UN Sustainable Development Goal target of 3 percent by 2030. 

The growth in remittances by Saudi nationals may be attributed to a combination of factors, including the expansion of the working-age population, increased international travel, overseas investments, and education-related transfers. 

Young Saudis studying abroad, owning property overseas, or supporting family members outside the Kingdom all contribute to rising personal transfers. 

The overall increase in outbound remittances aligns with broader macroeconomic trends. As ����ֱ�� pushes to diversify its economy and empower the private sector, higher employment levels and better wage conditions are translating into more outbound flows. At the same time, remittances play a vital role in supporting economies across South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, where many Saudi-based expats originate. 

The Kingdom’s commitment to financial innovation, coupled with a strong expat-driven economy, will likely keep remittance flows elevated in the months ahead.