Investment-Funds on SAUDI VISION 2030 Intelligence Platform

Saudi Asset Management: From 5 to 36 Licensed Managers and the Growth of Institutional Investing

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia’s asset management industry is a Vision 2030 capital-markets story: licensed managers have expanded, AUM has grown, and fund products now serve both institutional and retail investors. The increase from approximately five significant licensed asset managers in 2016 to over 36 by 2025 reflects deliberate policy to deepen capital markets, institutionalise savings, and create a competitive fund management landscape.

Market Scale and Growth Trajectory

Total assets under management (AUM) in Saudi-domiciled funds exceeded SAR 350 billion by the end of 2025, representing compound annual growth of approximately 18 percent since 2020. Including discretionary portfolio management mandates and private fund vehicles, the broader asset management market approaches SAR 700 billion in managed assets.

Saudi REITs Market

Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Saudi REITs market is the Kingdom’s public, exchange-traded route into income-producing real estate. Since the Capital Market Authority (CMA) introduced listed real-estate fund rules in 2016, nearly twenty REIT funds have listed on Tadawul, giving retail, institutional, and qualified foreign investors regulated exposure to malls, offices, hotels, logistics assets, healthcare properties, and residential portfolios. The market now sits at the intersection of capital-market deepening and Vision 2030 real-estate development.

Regulatory Framework

The CMA’s REIT regulations establish the structural, governance, and disclosure requirements for Saudi listed real-estate funds. The framework draws on international REIT models, particularly those of the United States, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, while incorporating provisions tailored to the Saudi market context and Sharia-compliance requirements.