Table of Contents
- • Navigating Saudi Arabia’s CMA Qualifications
- • What is a CME Certificate?
- • The CME-1: General Securities Qualification
- - Who is it for?
- - Exam Structure & Requirements
- • The CME-2: Compliance and AML/CTF
- - Who is it for?
- - Exam Structure & Requirements
- • Which Certification Should You Take First?
- • Before You Register
CME-1A: Introduction to Securities & Investment
Explore syllabus-aligned study tools, realistic practice and course-grounded AI support.
Navigating Saudi Arabia’s CMA Qualifications
As the Saudi financial market (Tadawul) expands under Vision 2030, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) has established strict licensing requirements for finance professionals. If you are entering the Saudi market, you will quickly encounter two major qualifications: the CME-1 and the CME-2.
(Note: In the finance sector, CME stands for Capital Market Examination (شهادة CME). If you are a healthcare professional, you may be looking for Continuing Medical Education requirements, which are entirely unrelated to these financial licenses.)
Understanding the differences between these two exams is critical for mapping out your career trajectory in the Kingdom. Both exams are administered by the Financial Academy in partnership with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).
What is a CME Certificate?
The Capital Market Examination (CME) certificate (known in Arabic as شهادة CME) forms part of the professional qualification framework used by the Capital Market Authority (CMA) in Saudi Arabia. The required examination depends on the registrable function, so candidates should use the current CMA Qualification Examinations Guide and their employer’s role mapping.
Passing the relevant papers demonstrates knowledge of the technical and local regulatory material assigned to that route. It does not by itself approve a person for every regulated activity or replace the employer’s registration process.
The CME-1: General Securities Qualification
The current Financial Academy pages call CME-1 the General Securities Qualification. It covers Saudi securities rules and securities operations through two parts.
Who is it for?
The Financial Academy describes the target audience as registered persons, or people intended for registration, who perform registrable functions for authorised persons. The employer should map the candidate’s actual function rather than relying on a general job-title list.
Exam Structure & Requirements
The current certificate requires both of these parts:
The official pages currently list a fee of SAR 1,250 for each part. Check the live page for the pass standard, duration, language and any exemption that applies to the named route. Do not substitute the older CME-1A IISI and CME-1B labels for the current part names.
The CME-2: Compliance and AML/CTF
The Capital Market Examination-2 (CME-2) route focuses on compliance, financial-crime risk, Saudi capital-market rules, AML and counter-terrorist financing.
Who is it for?
The official CME-2A page identifies people intended for registration in compliance and/or AML and counter-terrorist-financing functions. Job titles vary, so the registrable function should be confirmed before enrolment.
Exam Structure & Requirements
The professional certificate requires both parts:
| Part | Current official title | Current page facts |
|---|---|---|
| CME-2A | International Financial Compliance | SAR 2,100; pass score 70; 120 minutes; Arabic and English |
| CME-2B | Saudi Capital Market Regulations for Compliance, AML and Counter-Terrorist Financing | SAR 1,700; pass score 17; 30 minutes; Arabic and English |
These are live-page values reviewed on 22 August 2026. Recheck both pages before paying because fees and assessment details can change independently.
Which Certification Should You Take First?
There is no useful universal percentage or default order. Ask the employer for the registrable function and the current examination combination. A candidate mapped to a general securities function may need CME-1, while a candidate mapped to compliance or AML and counter-terrorist financing may need both CME-2 parts.
Free Saudi CMA CME-1A Practice Questions & Exam Preview
Try 15 Saudi CMA CME-1A practice questions from Equities and Stocks
Practice Saudi CMA CME-1A exam questions with answers and explanations. The full course includes 5 mock exams and chapter study tools.
Exam Preview
Which statement about public and listed companies is correct?
Flashcards
What is the primary function of the financial services sector?
Focus Learn
- Distinction between wholesale and retail sectors
- Functions of Equity, Bond, FX, and Derivatives markets
- Types of Commercial Lending (Lines of credit, Unsecured loans, Term loans)
- Characteristics of Private and Digital/Crypto markets
- Role of Investment Banks in M&A, finance raising, and proprietary trading
- Key functions of Custodian banks (safekeeping, settlement, asset servicing)
- Definition of a financial conglomerate by the Bank for International Settlements (BIS)
- Concept of mutual societies and the demutualization process
- Distinction between P2P lending and Crowdfunding forms
- The role of Insurance Companies and Pension Funds as major market investors
Financial Markets Overview
The financial services sector links organizations seeking capital with those with capital available to invest. The wholesale/professional sector includes Equity markets (trading shares on regulated exchanges with indices like S&P 500, FTSE 100), Bond markets (debt instruments for raising capital, influenced by interest rates and credit risk), Foreign Exchange (decentralized OTC trading of currencies for trade, speculation, and hedging), Derivatives (trading options, swaps, futures based on underlying assets like interest rates, mostly OTC but moving to exchanges), Insurance (management of personal/corporate risk, dominated by entities like Lloyd's and large reinsurers like Munich Re), Commercial Lending (business loans, term loans, unsecured loans, lines of…
Unlock all Focus Learn
Open every chapter’s key areas, pitfalls, exam traps and key numbers.
Before You Register
Record the function name, required CME certificate, required parts, current fees, assessment language and any approved exemption. Keep the employer’s written mapping with the booking confirmation so a similarly named legacy course does not determine the route.
Frequently Asked Questions
1 What is the main difference between CME-1 and CME-2?
The current CME-1 certificate combines Securities Rules and Regulations with Securities Operations. CME-2 combines International Financial Compliance with Saudi capital-market compliance, AML and counter-terrorist-financing rules. The registrable function determines the required route.
2 Do I have to pass CME-1 before taking CME-2?
The current public exam pages do not present CME-1 as a universal prerequisite for booking CME-2. Follow the sequence set for your role and confirm it with the employer or CMA requirements before registering.
3 Which exam is harder, CME-1 or CME-2?
Difficulty depends on experience. CME-1A can be harder for candidates new to securities products, while CME-1B and CME-2B demand precise recall of Saudi rules. Compare the current syllabus weights and take an unseen diagnostic before deciding.
4 Who needs the CME-2 certification?
The Financial Academy identifies both CME-2 parts as a requirement for people intended for registration in compliance and/or AML and counter-terrorist-financing functions. Confirm the exact function with the employer before booking.
Keep learning
Related Insights
أيهما تبدأ به أولاً: اختبار CME-1A أم CME-1B؟ وما هي المدة المطلوبة للمذاكرة؟
دليل شامل للمقارنة بين اختباري CME-1A و CME-1B من حيث الصعوبة، مدة المذاكرة المطلوبة، وأيهما الأفضل للبدء به في مسيرتك المهنية في القطاع المالي.
Why You Need a CME-1 Test Bank: The Truth About the Saudi CMA Exams
Relying purely on passive reading? Discover why using a CME-1 Test Bank and Mock Exams is the only proven strategy to pass the Saudi CMA exams.
US CMA vs Saudi CMA CME-1: Clearing the Confusion
Discover the critical differences between the US Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and the Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) CME-1 exams to choose the right career path.
Ready to Prepare for Your Exam?
Prepare with syllabus-aligned study tools, realistic practice and course-grounded AI support.
Explore Courses