Saudi Arabia’s market watchdog, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), said in a statement the move aimed to attract foreign capital and provide liquidity for present and future projects in the two cities.

The kingdom has also reoriented its spending from overseas into its domestic market. One indicator of this was that in 2024, the UAE’s Mubadala surpassed Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) as the world’s most active sovereign wealth fund.

Saudi Arabia's market regulator revealed that foreign investors are now permitted to invest in publicly traded companies that own real estate in Mecca and Medina. This initiative is part of the kingdom's strategy to draw international investment and increase liquidity for projects in these prominent religious cities.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said foreigners are from now on allowed to invest in Saudi-listed companies that own property in Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities. It said foreign investment "in companies owning real estate within the boundaries of Mecca and Madinah will be limited to shares of these Saudi companies listed on the Saudi capital market,

In a major policy shift, Saudi Arabia has allowed foreign investors to invest in publicly-traded companies owning real estate in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Under the new policy, foreigners can purchase shares and convertible debt instruments in companies listed on the Saudi stock exchange.