Saudi Arabia: Saudi public debt issuance increased by nearly 50 percent in 2020 to SR163 billion ($43.4 billion), the Capital Market Authority reported.

Non-government debt issuance increased by more than 250 percent reaching SR31 billion compared to SR9 billion in 2019.  

The market value of stocks and debt instruments reached SR9.8 trillion by the end of 2020, the Authority said in its annual report.

That represented a rise of 335 percent when compared to 2017 when it launched its three-year Financial Leadership Program that ran until last year.

The Authority has been developing its strategic plan for the next three years 2021-2023 in line with updated plans to expand the Kingdom's financial sector.