The Saudi Stock Exchanges (Tadawul) was, in December 2019, at the center
of attention of world finance. The initial public offering (IPO) of the
country's national oil company, Aramco, was the largest in terms of size
and company valuation worldwide, making the Tadawul the ninth largest
capital market in the world in terms of market capitalization. In
preparation for the Aramco IPO, the Tadawul amplified its efforts to
enhance its structural and regulatory framework toward international
stock exchange standards, to make the Tadawul more attractive to foreign
investors. In a broader sense and apart from political and
socio-economic aspects, the three essays aim to answer the most critical
questions concerning investment decisions in the Tadawul: What is the
quality of the financial market? Can active investment strategies
outperform the market on a systematic and continuing basis? How
oil-dependent is the Saudi economy?