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RIYADH: Lending to small, medium, and micro enterprises in �������� reached a record SR420.7 billion ($112.18 billion) by the end of the second quarter of 2025, up 37 percent from the same period last year, official data showed.

This represents an increase of more than SR113.3 billion compared with the second quarter of 2024, when SME facilities stood at SR307.4 billion, the Saudi Press Agency reported, citing data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA.

On a quarterly basis, SAMA’s monthly statistical bulletin for August reported that lending increased 10 percent from SR383.2 billion at the end of the first quarter, adding SR37.5 billion in new credit.

It also aligns with Vision 2030’s target to increase SME contributions to gross domestic product from 30 percent to 35 percent. With more than 1.8 million SMEs operating in the Kingdom, supporting this sector financially is not just a policy goal but a macroeconomic necessity.

“The bulletin indicated that the facilities provided by the banking sector amounted to SR402.1 billion, constituting about 96 percent of the total facilities, while the facilities provided by the financing companies sector amounted to SR18.6 billion,” the SPA report stated. 

Medium-sized enterprises received the largest share of bank lending, securing SR198.9 billion, about 49 percent of total banking facilities. Small enterprises, meanwhile, dominated the financing companies’ portfolio, with SR8.5 billion, representing 46 percent of that sector’s total.

Overall, medium enterprises led total SME facilities with SR206.4 billion, representing 49 percent, followed by small enterprises at SR154.2 billion, or 37 percent, and micro enterprises at SR60.1 billion, accounting for 14 percent.

According to the General Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises, medium enterprises are defined as those with revenues between SR40 million and SR200 million or 50–249 employees.

Small enterprises have revenues of SR3 million to SR40 million, or six to 49 employees, while micro enterprises generate less than SR3 million or employ one to five people.

RIYADH: ��������’s Tadawul All Share Index rose on Wednesday, gaining 40.10 points, or 0.35 percent, to close at 11,585.90. 

The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR5.35 billion ($1.42 billion), as 91 of the listed stocks advanced, while only 163 retreated. 

The MSCI Tadawul Index also increased, up 3.47 points, or 0.23 percent, to close at 1,510.94. 

The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 36.98 points, or 0.15 percent, to close at 25,035.14. This comes as 39 of the listed stocks advanced, while 40 retreated. 

The best-performing stock was CHUBB Arabia Cooperative Insurance Co., with its share price surging 9.91 percent to SR32.84. 

Other top performers included LIVA Insurance Co., which saw its share price rise by 4.57 percent to SR13.50, and ��������n Oil Co., which saw a 3.75 percent increase to SR25.98.

On the downside, Canadian Medical Center Co. saw the largest drop, with its share falling 8.84 percent to SR8.25. 

Tourism Enterprise Co. fell 8.43 percent to SR15.75, while Naseej International Trading Co. dropped 7.04 percent to SR62.70. 

On the announcements front, the Saudi Investment Bank released its interim financial results for the first nine months of the year. 

Net profit reached SR518.4 million, up 0.11 percent year on year and 1.15 percent compared with the previous quarter. The bank attributed the modest annual increase to a decline in total operating expenses. 

In a statement on Tadawul, the bank said that total operating income had decreased by 3 percent, mainly due to a drop in net special commission income and fair value through the statement of income, partially offset by higher exchange income and fee income from banking services. 

SAIB’s shares traded 1.94 percent lower on the main market to reach SR13.67.