Saudi Stocks Edge Lower as Insurance Shares Gain, Healthcare and Defense Deals Signed

Saudi Arabia’s stock market closed lower on Sunday as declines across several sectors weighed on investor sentiment, while a number of insurance stocks posted gains and companies announced new agreements tied to healthcare and defense projects.

The benchmark Tadawul All Share Index fell 27.50 points, or 0.25 percent, to end the session at 10,967.94. Trading turnover on the main market reached SR2.91 billion ($768 million), with 77 stocks advancing and 179 declining.

The Kingdom’s parallel market, Nomu, also finished lower, shedding 161.37 points, or 0.70 percent, to close at 22,833.63. A total of 33 stocks gained while 42 retreated during the session.

The MSCI Tadawul Index dropped 4.25 points, or 0.29 percent, to settle at 1,468.43.

Insurance stocks were among the strongest performers of the day. Shares in Arabian Shield Cooperative Insurance Co. climbed 7.27 percent to SR11.80, making it the top-performing stock on the main index.

Saudi Enaya Cooperative Insurance Co. rose 6.95 percent to SR12.15, while Kingdom Holding Co. gained 6.38 percent to close at SR11.01.

On the losing side, Gulf Insurance Group recorded the sharpest decline of the session, falling 4.87 percent to SR26.96.

Shares of Rasan Information Technology Co. slipped 4.26 percent to SR141.70, while The Power and Water Utility Co. for Jubail and Yanbu declined 4.19 percent to SR38.

In corporate developments, Dr. Soliman Abdel Kader Fakeeh Hospital Co., known as Fakeeh Care Group, announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi unit of Samsung C&T Corp. to explore healthcare development projects and the deployment of artificial intelligence-powered smart hospital systems in the Kingdom.

According to a filing on Tadawul, the agreement will remain in place for one year and is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy to modernize healthcare infrastructure and expand the use of advanced technologies in medical services.

Despite the announcement, Fakeeh Care Group shares closed 0.86 percent lower at SR38.40.

Meanwhile, Saudi Chemical Co. Holding said one of its subsidiaries had signed a contractual agreement with National Co. for Mechanical Systems to supply military materials over a five-year period.

The company said the deal could reach a maximum value of $198 million, depending on purchase orders issued under an agreed annual quantity framework. Saudi Chemical added that the agreement is expected to have a positive financial impact beginning in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Shares of Saudi Chemical Co. Holding ended the session down 1.33 percent at SR8.47.