Essays on the Saudi Stock Exchange: Market Efficiency, Active Investment Strategies and Sectoral Dependency on Oil Price

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?