Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility
The kingdom's stock market climbed to its highest level of the year on Wednesday, with the kingdom’s equities now far outperforming the S&P 500 and other global and regional indices.
Saudi Arabia’s stock market climbed to its highest point of the year on Wednesday, with the kingdom’s equities now outperforming key regional and global peers after the US-Israel-Iran war roiled markets during a turbulent first quarter.
The rally comes thanks to the kingdom’s relative economic insulation from a conflict that has disrupted energy flows and triggered sharp divergences across Middle Eastern economies.
Details: Saudi Arabia’s benchmark Tadawul All-Share Index rose about 1% on April 15, extending gains for a fourth straight session and lifting the index to its highest since November 2025. A day earlier, the kingdom's bourse surpassed the previous high for 2026, set in January. The rebound follows a sharp selloff after the war erupted on Feb. 28.
The Saudi index is now up roughly 10% year-to-date in 2026, significantly outperforming many global benchmarks. By comparison, the S&P 500 has gained about 2% this year, while Europe’s EURO STOXX 50 is up around 1.6%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 has risen about 12%, but Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index is down about 1.5%.
