The Capital Market Authority (CMA) announces the launch of the fifth batch of the Research Agenda Program for 2026, which include 19 proposed sub-topics distributed across 7 main topics, with the option of “Other" made available within the proposed subtopics.
Through the Research Agenda Program, the CMA seeks to contribute to supporting policy-making and decision-making based on scientific research, enhance the presence of the Saudi capital market in scientific literature, and raise the level of knowledge exchange between researchers and academics on one hand, and practitioners in the capital market sector on the other, in addition to improving the quality of research and studies, and contributing to raising financial literacy and awareness among participants in the capital market.
The main topics approved by the Scientific Committee for the current edition of the program include: Corporate Governance, Behavioral Finance, Investment Products & Funds, Financial Regulations & Investor Protection, FinTech & Digital Innovation, Financial Sustainability (ESG), and Foreign Investment. The Committee has also identified the proposed sub-topics under each main topic.
In line with the approach followed in the previous batch of the program, researchers will not be limited to submitting research proposals within the suggested sub-topics; they will also be able to submit research proposals on other sub-topics of importance to the capital market and related to the CMA's core functions.
The CMA has also approved receiving research proposals over three periods, each lasting three months. The first period will run from 15 September 2026 to 15 December 2026, the second period will continue until 15 March 2027, and the third period will continue until 15 June 2027.
The Research Agenda Program 2026 reflects the CMA's belief in the importance of scientific research and innovation in the capital markets, as part of its ongoing efforts to develop the Saudi capital market and achieve the desired level of scientific research output related to the capital market at the national level. Through the program, the CMA provides the technical and financial support necessary to complete selected research projects, and works to provide the information and data necessary to carry out scientific research.
Since its launch in 2021, the program has achieved a number of successes, most notably expanding the scope of research cooperation with a large number of researchers affiliated with local and international academic institutions and research centers, and increasing the number of accepted research proposals. During the previous four editions of the program, the CMA received more than 300 research proposals, involving approximately 540 researchers and applicants from various universities around the world, financial institutions, and other local entities. A number of the accepted studies were published on the CMA's website, and some were used to support policy-making and decision-making within the CMA.
The CMA invites researchers, locally and internationally, to submit their research proposals in the proposed research areas through the designated form, by:
a. Visiting the Research Agenda page on the CMA's website.
b. Downloading, completing, and submitting the research proposal form along with the CV(s) of the researcher(s) via email to: Research.agenda@cma.gov.sa.
For more details, please visit the following link:
Research Agenda
