Saudi CMA revenue rises 39% in 2018

The Saudi market regulator, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) has reported SAR 1.152 billion in revenues in fiscal year 2018, up 39 percent year-on-year (YoY), the CMA’s annual report showed.

CMA’s expenses rose 13 percent YoY to SAR 621.2 million last year.

Surplus from core operations stood at SAR 530.65 million in 2018, according to the regulator’s annual report.

The market regulator generated SAR 559.91 million in revenue from stock trading commissions – around 49 percent of total revenue— up by 4 percent YoY.

Also, revenue recorded from market violation fines and penalties stood at SAR 387.67 million, jumping 34 percent YoY.

The CMA’s employee expenses reached SAR 419.33 million, accounting for 68 percent of total spending last year.

The regulator has 699 employees, up by 3 percent YoY.

The CMA was founded in 2003 and it is a government organization applying full financial, legal, and administrative independence, and is directly subject to the Prime Minister.

The financial resources of CMA comprise fees of services as well as commissions charged by CMA, charges for using its facilities, returns on its funds and proceeds of the assets’ sale, fines and financial penalties imposed on market violators, government funds to CMA, and any other resources determined by the board including (registration, listing or trading of securities, brokerages’ licensing and investment funds’ registration).