Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu)

The Saudi Parallel Market, commonly known as Nomu, is an alternative equity market in Saudi Arabia operated by the Saudi Exchange. It was launched on 26 February 2017 to give companies an additional route to public listing and to broaden the sources of funding available through the Saudi capital market. The market was designed with lighter listing requirements than the exchange's main market, making it particularly relevant to issuers that may not yet satisfy the more demanding conditions associated with a primary-market listing. Nomu's role is primarily developmental. By creating a parallel venue, the Saudi capital-market system can accommodate a wider range of companies and provide them with access to public equity financing, while also supporting greater depth and participation in the domestic market. The platform is therefore positioned as an intermediate or alternative pathway for companies seeking exposure to public investors and a potential progression within the Saudi exchange environment. According to the stated admission requirements, a company seeking a Nomu listing must have a minimum market capitalization of SAR 10 million, equivalent to approximately US$2.6 million in the cited reference. At least 20% of the company's shares must be held by the public, and the issuer must have at least 50 public shareholders at the time of listing. These thresholds distinguish Nomu from a completely unrestricted private-market venue while maintaining a lower entry barrier than the main market. Nomu is a market platform rather than a conventional consumer brand. Its principal offering is the infrastructure and regulatory framework through which eligible companies can list and trade equity securities. Its users and stakeholders include prospective issuers, institutional and individual investors, financial advisers, and other participants in Saudi Arabia's capital-market ecosystem. Public information supplied for this entry identifies the launch and core admission requirements but does not establish a separate founder, current executive roster, independent website, or detailed record of later market reforms.

Nomu was introduced as a parallel equity market within Saudi Arabia's capital-market infrastructure and began operating on 26 February 2017. The market was launched by the Saudi Stock Exchange, now commonly referred to as the Saudi Exchange, with the purpose of creating an additional public-listing channel for companies. Its establishment addressed two related objectives. First, it was intended to provide issuers with another source of funding through public equity markets. Second, it was intended to contribute to the development and improvement of Saudi Arabia's capital market by expanding the range of companies and securities available to investors. Rather than duplicating the main market, Nomu was structured with lighter listing requirements, allowing eligible businesses to access a public platform at an earlier or smaller stage of development. The admission framework described for Nomu requires a minimum market capitalization of SAR 10 million, public ownership of at least 20% of the shares, and a minimum of 50 public shareholders at the time of listing. These requirements establish basic levels of issuer scale, public float, and investor distribution while remaining less demanding than the conditions associated with the main market. The available reference material does not provide a detailed chronology of subsequent rule changes, index developments, individual listings, market-performance statistics, executive appointments, or promotional campaigns. Accordingly, this history focuses on the market's launch, purpose, and documented admission framework rather than adding unsupported later developments.

• 2017

  Nomu launches

  [1]Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu)en.wikipedia.org

  The Saudi Stock Exchange launched the Saudi Parallel Market on 26 February 2017 as an alternative public equity market with lighter listing requirements.

An alternative Saudi equity market intended to widen access to public capital and support companies that meet lighter admission requirements than those of the main market.

• Equity-market listing · 2017

  Nomu parallel-market listings

  Nomu provides an alternative route for companies seeking to become publicly listed in Saudi Arabia. The platform is designed for issuers that satisfy its admission framework but may not meet the higher requirements of the main market. Its stated purpose is to expand access to equity funding and strengthen the depth of the Saudi capital market.

• Equity trading · 2017

  Public trading of Nomu-listed shares

  The market supports public trading in shares admitted to its parallel-market segment. Nomu therefore combines an issuer-access function with a venue through which public shareholders can participate in listed Saudi companies subject to the applicable market framework.

• 2017

  Creation of a parallel listing venueStrategy

  Background

  The Saudi capital market needed an additional route through which companies could obtain public equity financing without immediately meeting the main market's full admission requirements.

  Action taken

  The Saudi Stock Exchange launched Nomu on 26 February 2017 with lighter listing requirements and a stated objective of increasing funding sources for issuers and improving the capital market.

  Aftermath

  Nomu became an alternative Saudi public-equity platform. The cited requirements include a minimum market capitalization of SAR 10 million, public ownership of at least 20%, and at least 50 public shareholders at listing.

  Source

1. 1Saudi Parallel Market (Nomu)en.wikipedia.org