The Riyadh Economic Forum will hold its 12th session on 12–14 October 2026 at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, with ministers, public and private sector specialists, academics and business owners participating. The forum has presented more than 57 economic studies over its history, many of which became government initiatives and decisions.
if you want policy input rather than policy news, October is the window. Submissions and positioning happen before the session, not during it, so start now.
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Retail sells, companies buy
Tadawul's market capitalisation slipped SAR 8.9 billion, or 0.10%, to SAR 9.299 trillion in the week ended 24 September, from SAR 9.308 trillion a week earlier. Foreign investors cut holdings by SAR 6.23 billion to 4.73% of total market capital, with foreign institutions alone selling SAR 5.55 billion, while Saudi retail investors reduced positions by SAR 14.33 billion and Saudi corporates increased theirs by SAR 13.06 billion.
Since domestic corporate money is now the main source of new investment, a CFO planning a Saudi equity raise should first check interest with local companies before arranging meetings with international investors.
Six months to fund $5 billion
DataVolt expects to close financing on its Saudi AI data centre pipeline — $5 billion total — within six months, with a 1.5GW facility at Neom whose first phase is due operational in 2028. Its Uzbekistan site TAS-1 is raising up to $150 million against a $250 million project cost, including $78 million from the EBRD on a 12-year non-recourse term; the first 6MW phase has under 10% of capacity left. Parent Vision Invest manages more than $95 billion of infrastructure assets.
The Uzbekistan deal is the tell. A 12-year non-recourse structure with a development bank anchoring it is the template they'll try to replicate at Neom and 1.5GW is roughly twenty times the scale, which is where the template gets tested.
Twenty-four thousand AI registrations
Saudi Arabia's commercial registrations in artificial intelligence reached 24,552 records, up 31% since 2025 and the fastest growth among Vision 2030 sectors, according to Ministry of Commerce data. Cybersecurity registrations reached 11,275, up 22%, virtual and augmented reality 13,853, up 21%, and e-commerce 52,241, up 9%, with the Kingdom having designated 2026 its Year of Artificial Intelligence.
A registration serves as a licence rather than a business. The fact that 24,552 registrations are increasing at a rate of 31% indicates that intent is developing much more rapidly than actual capability.
