Dubai – Mubasher: Nasdaq Dubai on Monday announced plans to launch equity futures on stocks of major companies listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul).

Futures trading is expected to start during the third quarter of 2018 in a bid to provide investors with new hedging tools to take short and long positions on the firms in view of investors’ growing interest in the Saudi bourse, the international stock exchange said in a statement.

The futures will be launched on firms whose businesses focus on various sectors stretching from transportations to banking, real estate, and petrochemicals, Nasdaq Dubai added.

“The framework that we have built for trading and clearing Saudi futures is based on intensive consultations with regional and international market participants including brokers and potential investors,” Nasdaq Dubai CEO Hamed Ali said.