A Complete Guide to CPD Requirements for Saudi CMA License Holders

Table of Contents

• • Why Does the CMA Mandate CPD?
• • What Activities Qualify for CPD?
• • How to Manage Your CPD in 2026
• • The Role of Your Compliance Officer

Passing the relevant Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) CME exams is one part of becoming and remaining competent for a registered role. The employing institution also has continuing employee-training duties.

Article 65 of the Capital Market Institutions Regulations requires the institution to establish a training programme and train employees periodically on relevant legal and regulatory updates. It says this training should occur at least annually, but does not set one CPD hour total for every role or state that a CME certificate is renewed by logging a universal quota.

The practical task is to distinguish the CMA’s institution-level training rule from any extra hours, activities or evidence required by your employer or a role-specific direction.

Why Does the CMA Mandate CPD?

The financial markets are not static. New regulations are drafted, new financial products (like digital assets and complex derivatives) are introduced, and new threats (such as advanced money laundering techniques) emerge constantly.

CPD ensures that:

1. Consumer Protection: Clients are receiving advice based on current laws and market conditions.
2. Market Integrity: Registered Persons understand the latest compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) directives.
3. Professional Competence: Your technical skills do not degrade over time.

What Activities Qualify for CPD?

The regulations do not publish a universal catalogue of activities that count as CPD hours. The institution’s programme should connect training to the employee’s role and cover relevant regulatory updates.

Activities an institution may assess for relevance include:

• Attending industry conferences and seminars hosted by recognized bodies (like the Financial Academy or CISI).
• Taking additional professional qualifications (e.g., studying for CME-2 after passing CME-1).
• Completing structured online courses related to finance, ethics, or compliance.
• Internal compliance and AML training conducted by your Capital Market Institution (CMI).

Before booking an external activity, confirm whether the institution will include it in the employee’s training record and what evidence it requires.

How to Manage Your CPD in 2026

Missing training assigned under the institution’s programme should be corrected and documented. Article 65 itself does not impose automatic suspension for failing to reach an unspecified annual-hours total.

To stay on track, use this annual CPD management plan:

The Role of Your Compliance Officer

Article 65 places the employee-training obligation on the CMI. The institution should allocate responsibility through its systems and controls; the article does not state that a Compliance Officer or MLRO must submit a universal individual CPD-hours return to the CMA.

Before spending time or money on a course, ask the person responsible for the institution’s training programme whether it addresses your role needs and what evidence must be retained.