Saudi Arabia sees 25% rise in CFA exam candidates

Saudi Arabia recorded a 25 percent increase in candidates registering for the CFA Exams in June as compared to last year, the CFA Institute said in a statement.

CFA Institute, the global association of investment management professionals, added that more than 250,000 candidates have registered for the upcoming Level I, II and III CFA exams, an increase of 11 percent over last year.

“Pursuing the CFA credential is a very rigorous process, with less than one in five candidates successfully completing the process to earn the charter,” Paul Smith, CFA, president and CEO, CFA Institute, said.

“We are gratified to see the record number of candidates willing to put in the work continue to grow each year, especially in new markets around the world where finance plays such a vital role in building strong economies,” he added.

The Middle East had a strong representation, with 6,004 investment professionals from eight GCC and Middle East countries enrolling for the CFA exams across Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Registrations grew by 21 percent in Egypt, 26 percent in Jordan and 25 percent in Saudi Arabia. The UAE saw the largest number of new candidates in the Middle East, with 2,136 individuals registering for the exam.