The growing influence of female investors and the rapid professionalisation of Saudi Arabia’s financial services sector are clear signs of the Kingdom’s successful Vision 2030 strategy, according to Tracy Vegro OBE, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
Vegro’s remarks come as the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) revealed that the number of women investing in the Saudi stock market hit a record 1.72 million in the first quarter of 2025, a milestone that reflects the country’s wider economic transformation.
The CISI chief will visit Riyadh in October, where she will represent the organisation at the Financial Academy Forum of Expertise #Innovate_to_Enable. The trip follows her 2024 visit, during which she signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Financial Academy. This agreement paved the way for the academy to offer the CISI Ethical AI Professional Assessment to finance professionals in the Kingdom.
As part of the visit, Vegro will also meet with CISI members and partners, including the CMA, to discuss ongoing collaboration.
Ms Vegro said: “We are honoured to be working with our Saudi partners to equip their finance professionals and our members with the knowledge and skills they need, in a continuing commitment to raising standards across the Kingdom’s financial services profession. The UK’s professional standards and educational services are a great export success story and many CISI qualified professional are operating in the Kingdom.”
“It is particularly exciting to see the success of women’s empowerment efforts under Vision 2030 and the latest report from the CMA shows the growing importance of women’s influence in the financial services market. Women investors are key to the Kingdom’s economic and social transformation and integral to financial inclusion. The CMA’s dedication to skills, professionalism and standards across the sector will continue to confirm the Kingdom as an important international financial services centre and UK trading partner.”
UK Trade Minister Chris Bryant said: “Saudi Arabia is an important trading partner for the UK. This visit reflects our strong collaboration in financial services, aligning with the UK’s Industrial and Trade Strategy priorities for the sector and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”
“The CISI’s international partnerships are a good example of how the UK’s globally respected qualifications can be exported, to enable skilled UK professionals to deliver expert services with confidence and credibility in overseas markets.”
The renewed partnership comes shortly after the UK government announced a £360 million joint investment with Saudi Arabia, set to create 180 new jobs in both countries. The GREAT FUTURES summit also highlighted key areas for collaboration under the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, with financial services identified as a major driver of growth.
