Middle East: New Saudi Netting Regulation Creating A Buzz

There was a buzz during the joint association conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 19 February. A collaboration by ISDA, ISLA and ICMA, the industry associations representing parties that enter into transactions such as derivatives, securities lending and repurchase transactions, is indeed unusual.

However, it was the introduction two days prior, on the 17 February, by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) of the Close-out Netting and Related Financial Collateral Regulation that caused the excitement. It is effective from that date. The regulation establishes the enforceability of netting agreements and related financial collateral arrangements with SAMA supervised entities, particularly in the event of a failure by one of the parties to such transactions. The primary objective is to ensure that the contractual provisions of netting agreements are enforceable both inside and outside bankruptcy proceedings, reducing credit risk exposure and enhancing financial stability.