Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) intends to introduce futures contract in single stocks in the first half (H1) of 2021, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday citing the bourse’s CEO, Khalid Abdullah Al Hussan.

The start of the derivatives market will further help accelerate plans for an offering of shares in the bourse. Index futures started to trade in Tadawul on 30 August 2020.

Al Hussan revealed that pipeline for initial public offerings (IPOs) is very healthy despite the coronavirus pandemic, with four to five IPOs currently under review.

The average volume of trade increased by about three-fold amid the pandemic, with the active participation of retail investors. The Saudi bourse is working on increasing products and listings in order to attract more foreign investors.