The law of market manipulation in Saudi Arabia: a case for reform

Abstract

The integrity of financial markets is threatened by a number of harmful practices. These are often generally described as ‘market abuse’. Market abuse comprises two practices: insider dealing and market manipulation. This thesis mainly explores market manipulation and the relevant Saudi law. Market manipulation was first regulated in 2003.1 It is therefore possible and useful for the purposes of this thesis, to distinguish between the pre- and post- enactment periods. This study has four main objectives. First, it will define market manipulation and describe its most common forms. Secondly, it will assess the application of Saudi civil and criminal law to market manipulation prior to the enactment of the Capital Market Law 2003. Thirdly, it will critically evaluate the application of this law to the different forms of market manipulation. Finally, it will assess how well the 2003 law is enforced. Different methodologies have been used to achieve these objectives with a focus on critical analysis and comparative study. The author has used the well-established US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and the UK Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 to evaluate the Capital Market Law 2003. Prior to the enactment of this law, there were almost no regulations dealing with market manipulation. The 2003 law is applicable to most forms of market manipulation with the exception of security price stabilization and forms manipulation. Penalties under Saudi civil law tend to be more lenient compared to the US and the UK and this may inhibit its deterrent effect. Also, Saudi judges generally tend to lack the necessary understanding of manipulative practices to enforce the law effectively. Therefore, the success of the 2003 law in deterring and punishing manipulative practices should be reassessed in a few years’ time, when there is more data to make an accurate evaluation.