DUBAI  - Saudi Arabia's finance ministry said its Debt Management Office would sign an agreement on Thursday to appoint local banks as primary dealers in government bonds.

The statement on the ministry's Twitter account gave no details. Saudi Arabia is trying to develop an actively traded debt market as part of reforms to diversify the economy beyond oil exports.

(Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi; Editing by Andrew Torchia) ((aziz.elyaakoubi@thomsonreuters.com; +971552994086);))