Saudi Arabia’s equity index rose 8.5% in January, supported by robust corporate earnings and growing investor confidence, Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz) said in a report.

Strong earnings results from major blue-chip stocks and the announcement of market access for all foreign investors boosted investor optimism, propelling growth in its stock market, the report said.

Saudi National Bank surged by 18.4% in January after posting a 18% year-on-year (YoY) rise in its net income for 2025. Al Rajhi Bank gained 9.9% after reporting a 25.7% YoY increase in its net income for last year. Mining major Maaden gained 26.8% following 7.8 million ounces of gold discovery across four key sites.

The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) rose 7.9% last month, extending the strong momentum from 2025.

Dubai equity index increased by 6.4%, supported by 6.8% monthly gain in bellwether Emaar Properties. The Abu Dhabi index rose 2.9%, supported by blue-chip stocks. First Abu Dhabi Bank gained 6.7% after its 2025 net profit rose 24% YoY.

However, Kuwait’s equity market fell 3.8% in January amid profit-booking after a strong 2025 performance.

Global markets remained positive in January, supported by continued inflows and high investor demand for safe-haven assets such as gold. 

MSCI World and S&P 500 rose by 2.2% and 1.4%, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite index gained by 1.2%, while Emerging Markets, as measured by the MSCI EM Index, gained 8.8% during the month, supported by Chinese equities, the report said.

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com)