2026-01-06
The Capital Market Authority of Saudi Arabia issues these Instructions to regulate how capital market institutions open and operate investment accounts, particularly for securities crowdfunding platform activities. The rules mandate comprehensive client acceptance, strict adherence to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing due diligence, and detailed identification verification for natural and legal persons. They establish standardized procedures for account agreements, freezing and attachment mechanisms, electronic recordkeeping, and specialized provisions for minors, incapacitated individuals, and GCC or foreign residents.
Public - عام Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Capital Market Authority Investment Accounts Instructions English Translation of the Official Arabic Text Issued by the Board of the Capital Market Authority Pursuant to its Resolution Number 4-39-2016 Dated 25/6/1437H Corresponding to 3/4/2016G Based on the Capital Market Law Issued by Royal Decree No. M/30 dated 2/6/1424H Amended by Resolution of the Board of the Capital Market Authority Number 1-2-2026 Dated 16/07/1447H corresponding to 05/01/2026G Note: The official text is in Arabic. This document is an unofficial translation and is provided for information purposes only Important Notice: The current version of these Instructions, as may be amended, can be found at the Authority website: www.cma.org.sa
1 Public - عام TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1:GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1: Preliminary Provisions Article 2: Definitions PART 2 :INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPENING INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS Article 3: Clients Acceptance Article 4: Information Required in the Investment Account Opening Agreement Article 5: Investment Account Identification Card Article 6: Instructions for Opening Investment Accounts for Natural Persons Article 7: Instructions for Opening Investment Accounts for Legal Persons Article 8: Opening Investment Accounts for Other Persons PART 3 :INSTRUCTIONS FOR OPERATING INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS Article 9: Transactions on the Investment Account Article 10: Opening and Operating the Investment Account by Power of Attorney Article 11: Appointment of Court-Appointed Receiver over the Investment Account Article 12: Closing the Investment Account PART 4 :REGULATORY AND SUPERVISORY INSTRUCTIONS Article 13: Electronic Record Article 14: Updating the Investment Accounts Information Article 15: Freezing the Investment Accounts Article 16: Instruction on the Attachment of Investment Accounts and Disclosure of their Information PART 5 :PUBLICATION AND ENTRY INTO FORCE Article 17: Publication and Entry into Force Annex 1: Guidance List of Documents for Opening an Investment Account for Saudi Companies or Companies from GCC Member States Annex 2: Guidance List of Documents for Opening an Investment Account for Investment Funds Established in the Kingdom or GCC Member States Annex 3: Required Information in the Investment Account Statement
2 Public - عام Part 1 General Provisions Article 1: Preliminary Provisions a) These Instructions aim to regulate the opening and operation of investment accounts by capital market institutions when they provide any services related to dealing, management, custody, or investment through securities crowdfunding platforms activities; and define the regulatory and supervisory rules related to investment accounts. b) These Instructions are without prejudice to the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations, the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Implementing Regulations, and the Combating-Terrorism Crimes and its Financing Law and its Implementing Regulations. Article 2: Definitions a) Any reference to the “Capital Market Law” in these Instructions shall mean the Capital Market Law issued by the Royal Decree No. M/30 dated 2/6/1424H. b) Subject to paragraph (c) of this Article, expressions and terms in these Instructions have the meaning which they bear in the Capital Market Law and the Glossary of Defined Terms Used in the Regulations and Rules of the Capital Market Authority, unless the context indicates otherwise. c) For the purpose of implementing these Instructions, the following expressions and terms shall have the meaning they bear as follows, unless the context indicates otherwise:
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4 Public - عام Part 2 Instructions for Opening Investment Accounts Article 3: Clients Acceptance a) The capital market institution, before accepting any client and opening an investment account for him, must ensure his compliance with all of his obligations stated in the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations, the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Implementing Regulations, and the Combating-Terrorism Crimes and its Financing Law and its Implementing Regulations. b) The capital market institution, when accepting any client, must not provide any services related to dealing, managing, custody, or investment through securities crowdfunding platforms activities until obtaining the client’s approval on an investment account opening agreement and documenting such approval and opening an investment account to that client. The investment account opening agreement must contain all the information mentioned in Article (4) of these Instructions. c) The capital market institution may rely on a third party to carry out the customer due diligence measures in accordance with the related provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Implementing Regulations, and the Combating-Terrorism Crimes and its Financing Law and its Implementing Regulations for any person for whom these Instructions permit the opening of an investment account. d) The capital market institution must verify the actual relationship between the clients and the natural persons who open or operate investment accounts on their behalf such as guardians, agents, trustees, or authorised signatories in accordance with the relevant provisions in the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Implementing Regulations, and the Combating-Terrorism Crimes and its Financing Law and its Implementing Regulations. e) In all situations in which these Instructions require the verification of documents, data, or information, such verification must be done through documents, data or information from a reliable and independent source. f) Depending on the risk profile of a particular client, the capital market institution, when carrying out the customer due diligence measures, must determine if original copies of any of the documents should be checked in order to verify their validity. g) The capital market institution, when using technology means to open the investment account, must carry out the customer due diligence measures depending on the level of risks involved in that, and according to any requirement that the Authority specifies. h) The capital market institution must not open an investment account for an individual establishment, except for organizations licensed under the Law of Civil Society Associations and Organizations, for which an investment account is opened pursuant to paragraph (d) of Article 7 of these instructions, and establishments owned by endowments, for which an investment account is opened pursuant to paragraph (e) of Article 7 of these instructions. i) Without prejudice to the terms of business with clients’ requirements mentioned in the Capital Market Institutions Regulations, the capital market institution is exempted from implementing paragraph (b) of this Article when providing any services related to dealing for its client where such client appoints an independent custodian.
5 Public - عام Article 4: Information Required in the Investment Account Opening Agreement In addition to the terms of business with clients’ requirements mentioned in the Capital Market Institutions Regulations, the investment account opening agreement must include, as a minimum, the following: a) Information of the client's Identification Document, address, contact information, occupation and, if the client is a legal person, its main business activity. b) An acknowledgment by the client that he understands the terms and conditions of the investment account opening agreement, and that all data and information provided to the capital market institution are correct, complete, valid and not misleading. c) An undertaking by the client of his commitment to update his data and information or confirm, upon the capital market institution's request, that there are no changes to such data and information at the end of the relevant time period specified by the capital market institution pursuant to the rules and policies approved by the capital market institution in accordance with the level of risks associated with the client; and the client’s commitment to provide information of his renewed Identification Documents upon the expiration of the original Identification Documents. The client shall provide an acknowledgment of his awareness that the capital market institution will freeze his investment account upon his failure to meet such commitment, and also provide an undertaking to adhere to the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations, and other laws and regulations of the Kingdom, especially the Anti-Money Laundering Law and its Implementing Regulations, and the CombatingTerrorism Crimes and its Financing Law and its Implementing Regulations. d) Unless the company is listed on an exchange, the investment account opening agreement signed with any company must include an undertaking to immediately notify the capital market institution upon any change to any of the documents, information or data that were previously provided when opening the investment account. Article 5: Investment Account Identification Information Upon the client's request, the capital market institution must provide the client (using any appropriate means) with the investment account identification information, which shall contain the client's name and number of the investment account as well as the capital market institution's name. Article 6: Instructions for Opening Investment Accounts for Natural Persons a) Opening Investment Accounts for Saudi Natural Persons To open an investment account for a Saudi natural person, the capital market institution must obtain and verify the client's valid national identification card information. b) Opening Investment Accounts for the Citizens of the GCC Member States To open an investment account for a citizen of a GCC member state, the capital market institution must obtain and verify the client's valid passport or national identification card information. c) Opening Investment Accounts for Foreign Residents in the Kingdom
6 Public - عام 2) Holders of the Five Years Residency Card: To open an investment account for a holder of a five years residency card, the capital market institution must obtain and verify the valid five years residency card information. 3) Members of the Diplomatic Missions in the Kingdom: To open an investment account for a member of a diplomatic mission in the Kingdom, the capital market institution must obtain and verify an identification letter from the member's embassy and the member's valid diplomatic identity card information. d) Opening Investment Accounts for Foreign Natural Persons Residing in the GCC Member States To open an investment account for a foreign person residing in a GCC member state for the purpose of investing in the permitted securities in accordance with the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations and the related instructions issued by the Authority, the capital market institution must obtain and verify the valid Resident Identity information and passport information. e) Opening Investment Accounts for Foreign Natural Persons not Residing in the Kingdom or in the GCC Member States To open an investment account for a foreign natural person not residing in the Kingdom or in a GCC member state for the purpose of investing in the permitted securities in accordance with the Capital Market Law and its Implementing Regulations and the related instructions issued by the Authority, the capital market institution must obtain and verify the client's valid passport information. f) Special Provisions for Opening Investment Accounts for Natural Persons
7 Public - عام operating the investment account until one of the capital market institution's employees or his personal referee reads to him the terms and conditions related to such services and the capital market institution informs him that such services are provided to him based on his will, choice, and awareness of the risks associated with using such services and the client’s legal liability for all transactions executed through such services. The capital market institution shall also obtain a written acknowledgement signed by the client indicating that he understands the above terms. e. The capital market institution may use the client's fingerprint or personal stamp as his personal signature in all of his transactions. f. With the exception of any transactions carried out by telephone or electronic channels, in order for the capital market institution to accept any instructions from a blind client or a client unable to read, the capital market institution must obtain the client's signature on such instructions with the client's awareness and responsibility of the instructions he signs. Also, if the blind client or the client unable to read was accepted as a client with a personal referee when opening the account, the capital market institution must obtain an acknowledgement in writing signed by a personal referee that meets the conditions stated in subparagraph (b1) of paragraph (e) of this Article that the client is aware of the procedure's nature and that he bears liability as a personal referee. 2) Opening an Investment Account for Persons Under the Age of (18) Hijri Calendar Years: a. An investment account for a person under the age of (18) Hijri calendar years is opened by a guardian, provided that the investment account is under the name of the client and operated by the guardian. b. The Identification Document information of the client who is under the age of (18) Hijri calendar years and the Identification Document information of his guardian must be obtained and verified. c. If the client is a Saudi citizen under the age of (15) Hijri calendar years, the family card information that shows the client's information and the valid national identification card information of his guardian must be obtained and verified, without requiring the client to provide a national identification card. d. If the client is under the age of (18) Hijri calendar years and under legal guardianship, the capital market institution must obtain and verify information of the guardian's deed issued by the competent court and comply with all its provisions. e. If the client is a foreigner under the age of (18) Hijri calendar years and his name is added to another person's residence permit (Iqama) or resident identity, the information of the valid residence permit (Iqama) or resident identity (to which the client's name is added) must be obtained and verified, provided that the investment account is under the name of the client and opened and operated by the holder of the residence permit (Iqama) or the resident identity to which the client is added. f. The capital market institution must carry out customer due diligence measures in relation to the guardian, and the guardian when acting on behalf of the client under the age of (18) Hijri calendar years shall comply with all legal responsibilities applicable to such client. 3) Opening an Investment Account for children in need of care
8 Public - عام a. An investment account for a child residing in one of the housing centers, with a substitute (foster) family, in a charity or an association caring for orphans, or in a rehabilitation center under the supervision of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is opened by the authorised signatories to open the investment account as per the letter of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, provided that the investment account is under the name of the child and operated by the authorised signatories to operate the investment account as per the letter of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. b. The capital market institution must obtain information of the following documents and verify them:
9 Public - عام 6) Opening Investment Accounts for the Interdicted Person a. The investment account of an interdicted person is opened by his guardian, provided that the investment account is under the name of the interdicted person and operated by his guardian. b. Information of the Identification Documents of the interdicted person and his guardian must be obtained and verified. c. obtain information of a final decision or a decision subject to expeditious execution issued by the competent court must be obtained and verified, and the capital market institution must comply with all its relevant provisions. d. The capital market institution must carry out customer due diligence measures in relation to the guardian, and the guardian when acting on behalf of the interdicted person shall comply with all legal responsibilities applicable to such client. Article 7: Instructions for Opening Investment Accounts for Legal Persons a) Opening Investment Accounts for Saudi Companies and Companies from GCC Member States
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13 Public - عام Part 3 Instructions for Operating Investment Accounts Article 9: Transactions on the Investment Account a) The capital market institution must not enable his client to buy securities unless the purchase is made from the client's investment account balance. b) The capital market institution, in respect of the investment account, must ensure his compliance with the provisions related to clients' money and assets stated in the Capital Market Institutions Regulations. c) The capital market institution must not accept any cash amounts from the client or from a third party for the benefit of the client for investment purposes or in exchange for a services provided by the capital market institution, and the capital market institution must not deliver to the client or any third party any cash amounts from the investment account. d) The capital market institution must not enable money transfer transactions from an investment account of a client to an investment account of another client unless the transfer transaction is upon any of the following:
14 Public - عام 4) Subparagraph (a-2) of this Article does not apply to powers of attorney issued for the purpose of obtaining the investment account’s information, liquidating it, closing it, or transferring its balance to a bank account. b) The capital market institution must verify the validity of the power of attorney and that it explicitly states the powers given to the attorney-in-fact, whether it is opening an investment account, operating it, performing transfers, purchasing or selling securities, or closing the investment account, and the capital market institution must comply with the provisions of the power of attorney. c) The capital market institution shall not accept any power of attorney except for that set out in paragraph (a) of this Article. d) The capital market institution, before accepting a power of attorney, must obtain a written acknowledgment by the attorney-in-fact for the client referred to in subparagraph (b-2) of paragraph (a) of this Article acknowledging that he does not have a valid and accepted power of attorney, at the capital market institutions’ level, for another client other than the persons referred to in subparagraph (a-2) of paragraph (a) of this Article. If the capital market institution knows otherwise, it must not accept the power of attorney or take any action pursuant to it. Article 11: Appointment of Court-Appointed Receiver over the Investment Account When a court-appointed receiver is appointed over an investment account, the capital market institution must comply with the following: a) The capital market institution, before permitting a judicial receiver to have access to an investment account, must obtain and verify information of a final decision or a decision subject to expeditious execution issued by the competent judicial authority that includes the appointment of judicial receiver and its authorities, and also obtain and verify information of the judicial receiver's valid national identification card if he is a natural person, or information of the commercial register of the judicial receiver and the information of the national identification card of its representative if it is a legal person. b) The investment account information must show that the investment account is under judicial receivership. c) Only the court-appointed receiver shall have the authority to operate the investment account and sign for its transactions, unless the judicial authority's decision provides otherwise. Article 12: Closing the Investment Account a) If a client requests to close his investment account, he must submit a request to the capital market institution, and the capital market institution must document such request. b) Without prejudice to paragraphs (c) and (d) of this Article, the capital market institution must accept the client's request to close his investment account and notify him of such, unless the investment account is attached, or the client has financial obligations owing to the capital market institution. c) The capital market institutions must permit their Saudi and GCC clients to close their frozen investment accounts without updating their information, provided that the investment account is not subject to attachment, there are no restrictions or balance on the account, any securities in the investment portfolios linked to it, or any claims in relation to it. d) Unless the Authority instructs otherwise, the capital market institution must not permit the foreign resident in the Kingdom to close his investment accounts if his residence permits (Iqama) or resident
15 Public - عام identity is expired, until such client provides a renewed residence permit (Iqama) or resident identity or a final exit visa. e) If five years elapse from the date of freezing the investment account without the client providing the required updated information, and the investment account is not subject to attachment, has no securities linked to it and is not under any restrictions or claims, the capital market institution may transfer the available balance on the investment account to a bank account under the client's name, close the investment portfolios linked to the investment account and the client account opened by the capital market institution (unless it is linked to more than one investment account), and then close the investment account. f) If a year elapses without any balance on the investment account of the client and without any securities in any investment portfolio linked to it, and if such account is not subject to attachment or under any restrictions or claims, the capital market institution may close the investment account after (30) days from notifying the client of such.
16 Public - عام Part 4 Regulatory and Supervisory Instructions Article 13: Electronic Record For the purpose of establishing a unified electronic database for investment accounts, the capital market institution that holds investment accounts for clients must create an electronic record to link the investment account with all the information set out in the documents provided by the client for opening the investment account. Article 14: Updating the Investment Accounts Information a) The capital market institution shall require his clients to update the information that were provided when opening the investment account as and when there are any changes to the original information provided or upon such information expiry date, or at the end of the relevant time period specified by the capital market institution pursuant to the rules and polices approved by the capital market institution in accordance with the level of risks associated with the client, whichever is earlier, and the capital market institutions must perform a periodic review to study the need to update the information provided by the client at least once every five years investment account, and the capital market institutions must maintain policies and procedures to fulfill this requirement. b) The capital market institution must inform his clients at least ninety calendar days in advance of the expiry date that the original documents are going to expire shortly. c) Ninety calendar days prior to the Saudi minor client reaching the age of (15) Hijri Calendar years, the capital market institution must request the guardian to update the information of the client's investment account, and obtain and verify the client's national identification card information. d) Ninety calendar days prior to the minor client reaching the age of (18) Hijri Calendar years, the capital market institution must notify the guardian of the necessity of updating the information of the client's investment account, obtain and verify the client's national identification card information, and sign a new investment account opening agreement with the client as soon as he becomes (18) Hijri Calendar years' old, provided that it contains all the information mentioned in Article (4) of these Instructions. e) Upon the final exit of the foreign client residing in the Kingdom or in a GCC member state, the capital market institution must require the client to update the investment account information by obtaining and verifying the client's valid passport information, and what proves the client’ final exit. Article 15: Freezing the Investment Accounts a) The capital market institution must freeze all the investment accounts of the client at the expiration date of the documents provided when opening the investment account if the client has not updated them or if the client has not updated his investment accounts information upon the capital market institution's request in accordance with paragraph (a) of Article 14 of these Instructions. b) The capital market institution must notify his clients of the date of freezing the investment account at least one month prior to the freezing date. The capital market institution must also maintain policies and procedures to fulfil this requirement and keep records of its applications.
17 Public - عام c) If the documents provided when opening the investment account for the legal person do not include a specific expiration of the validity date, the capital market institution must freeze such investment account after the end of the relevant time period specified by the capital market institution under paragraph (a) of Article (14) of these investment account instructions, until the client updates the account's information. d) The capital market institution must monitor the validity of Identification Documents for the authorised signatories of the legal persons as well as the persons who provided information of their Identification Documents upon opening the investment account, and the capital market institution must freeze their authority to operate the investment account until they provide renewed Identification Documents information. Article 16: Instruction on the Attachment of Investment Accounts and Removing the Attachment of them and Disclosure of their Information and Execution upon them a) Provisional Attachment of the Investment Account and Investment Portfolios, the lifting of such attachment, Disclosure of its Information, and execution thereon upon the Authority's Request:
18 Public - عام 7) When an Investment Account is provisionally attached based on subparagraph (a-5) of this Article, the capital market institution must stop all money transfer and withdrawal transactions and must not allow the utilization of the Investment Account balance in any form. 8) The capital market institution must not remove the provisional attachment of any Investment Account or Investment Portfolios that was attached based on subparagraph (a-5) of this Article until the capital market institution receives a request from the Authority. When the capital market institution receives a request from the Authority to remove the provisional attachment of the investment accounts of a client, the capital market institution must immediately remove the attachment and immediately provide the Authority with information of the investment accounts of which the attachment was removed. 9) When the capital market institution receives a request from the Authority to execute upon the Investment Accounts or Investment Portfolios associated therewith of a client, the capital market institution must immediately initiate execution procedures and promptly provide the Authority with information regarding the Investment Accounts or Investment Portfolios on which execution has been carried out. b) Blocking the Investment Account and Investment Portfolios upon the initiation of liquidation proceedings against the client, the Client's Insolvency, or Loss of Legal Competence:
19 Public - عام 2) When any person requests to be provided with information of the investment accounts and Investment Portfolios associated therewith of the deceased client, the capital market institution must provide him in writing with detailed and clear information of the Investment Accounts and Investment Portfolios associated therewith of the deceased client after verifying the identity of that person and ensuring that he is one of the heirs or attorney-in-fact of one of them. The capital market institution must also obtain and verify the Identification Document information of that person, information of the power of attorney if that person was an attorney-in-fact of the heirs or one of them, information of the document establishing death of the deceased client, information of the determination of heirs. 3) The capital market institution, after freezing the investment account of the deceased client, must not carry out any transactions from such account except for liquidating the investment account for the benefit of the heirs. 4) The capital market institution must not liquidate the investment account and Investment Portfolios associated therewith for the benefit of the heirs until obtaining information of the document establishing death, information of the determination of heirs, information of, the guardianship deed for the minor heirs (if there is minor heirs) and power of attorney (if any) and verify them. The capital market institution must also obtain and verify information of the Identification Document of the guardian, attorney-in-fact, and heirs who have no guardian or attorney-in-fact, and if there is a judicial deed for the distribution of the inheritance issued by the competent court, the capital market institution must obtain information of the deed and verify it. 5) If the heirs of the deceased client are non-resident foreigners, the capital market institution must not liquidate the investment accounts and Investment Portfolios associated therewith of the deceased client until the requirements aforementioned in sub-paragraph (4) are fulfilled, and ensure, if the documents were issued outside the Kingdom, that the documents bear “APOSTILLE” certificate or they are authenticated by the Saudi Embassy or Consulate at the issuing country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom. 6) After the investment account of the deceased client and all investment portfolios linked to it are liquidated, the capital market institution must close the investments portfolios linked to the investment account and the client account opened by the capital market institution, then close the client's investment account. 7) After the capital market institution completes, upon the Authority's instructions, the liquidation of the investment account of the deceased client and all of the investment portfolio linked to it, the capital market institution must notify the Authority, immediately, if he receives any dividends or bonus shares belonging to that client.
20 Public - عام Part 5 Publication and Entry into Force Article 17: Publication and Entry into Force These Instructions shall be effective in accordance with its approval resolution.
21 Public - عام Annex 1: Guidance List of Documents for Opening an Investment Account for Saudi Companies or Companies from GCC Member States
22 Public - عام Annex 2: Guidance List of Documents for Opening an Investment Account for Investment Funds Established in the Kingdom or GCC Member States
23 Public - عام Annex 3: Required Information in the Investment Account Statement The investment account statement must be printed, at the request of the Authority to be disclosed, in Arabic and on the official letter head of the capital market institution, and shall contain at minimum the following information: