Saudi Arabian equities ended Sunday’s session higher, clawing back losses from the previous day and reasserting a cautiously constructive tone in the market, even as investors remained wary of soft oil prices and broader global uncertainties.

The Tadawul All Share Index rose 0.9%, recovering from a pullback that had brought an end to a six-session winning streak. Buying interest was concentrated in select large-cap names, with ACWA Power Company jumping 3.9% and Saudi Arabian Mining Company gaining 1.5%, underscoring continued appetite for stocks linked to energy transition, infrastructure, and industrial development themes that sit at the heart of the kingdom’s economic agenda.

The immediate catalyst for the rebound was a government announcement that Saudi Arabia will further liberalize access to its capital markets for foreign investors starting next month. Market participants say the move is designed to make the exchange more attractive to global asset managers, sovereign funds, and pension investors, particularly those with longer investment horizons, and to reinforce Saudi Arabia’s push to position Tadawul as a regional financial hub.

This policy shift comes at a delicate moment for the market. Oil prices, while off recent lows, remain subdued relative to levels that typically provide strong fiscal tailwinds for Gulf economies. That has kept investors selective and has limited broad-based risk-taking, even as domestic economic indicators remain supportive.

Beyond oil, Saudi Arabia’s macroeconomic backdrop continues to offer a cushion. The non-oil economy is expanding at a pace of more than 4%, driven by heavy public investment in mega-projects, tourism, logistics, renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing under the Vision 2030 programme. These projects are not only supporting growth but are also reshaping sectoral leadership within the equity market, gradually reducing its historical dependence on hydrocarbons and banks alone.

Foreign participation has become an increasingly important pillar of market stability. Over the past year, foreign inflows running into tens of billions of riyals have helped deepen liquidity, narrow bid-ask spreads, and soften market swings during periods of global volatility. Analysts note that this growing international investor base is also contributing to more disciplined pricing, as global funds tend to rotate rather than exit abruptly.

Rania Gule, senior market analyst at XS.com – MENA, said these dynamics are likely to keep the Saudi market range-bound in the near term, albeit with a mild upward bias. She said a clearer directional move would likely depend on a combination of stabilizing oil prices and strong quarterly earnings, particularly from banks, energy companies, and telecommunications firms, which remain core drivers of index performance.

In Qatar, equities also edged higher, with the benchmark index adding 0.5%. Gains were led by Industries Qatar, which rose 0.8%, reflecting steady interest in petrochemicals and industrial exporters amid expectations of resilient regional demand and relatively stable feedstock costs.

Outside the Gulf, Egypt continued to stand out as one of the strongest performers in emerging and frontier markets. The EGX30 index advanced 1.4% to a new record high, with almost all constituents closing in positive territory. Egypt Aluminum surged 6.6%, benefiting from a combination of stronger investor confidence, export prospects, and expectations of improved operating conditions.

Gule said the rally in Egyptian equities points to a broader improvement in risk appetite, supported by economic reforms, tighter fiscal discipline, and increased flexibility in the exchange-rate regime. Investors are also positioning ahead of anticipated government initial public offerings and new corporate listings, which are expected to expand market depth and attract fresh foreign capital.

Across the region, the picture that emerges is one of cautious optimism. Structural reforms, capital market liberalization, and diversification efforts are providing a supportive foundation for equities, even as external pressures, from oil price uncertainty to global monetary conditions, continue to shape short-term trading behavior.

Not all presales are equal, and in 2026, the gap between token supply and long-term ROI is widening fast. While hype cycles come and go, some projects are building for scale, speed, and price multiples that still fit inside a 100x to 10,000x window. The best crypto for the future isn’t about branding or influencer charts, it’s about structure, access, and timing.

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Zero Knowledge Proof: No VCs, No Discounts

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ZKP’s infrastructure, built on Substrate with Proof-of-Intelligence and zk-SNARKs for verifiable AI comput,e is already functional. But the clock is the real pressure here. The auction doesn’t pause. Supply shrinks every day. In a presale world shaped by dilution and vesting cliffs, ZKP flips the formula. If ROI is based on scarcity and fairness, ZKP is priced for those who understand time, not hype.

2. DeepSnitch AI ($DSNT): Tools First, Token Second

DeepSnitch AI is one of the best crypto for the future because its products came before its listings. The project already has live utilities, including a dashboard, staking mechanics, and on-chain monitoring well ahead of its full token launch.

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3. Bitcoin Hyper ($HYPER): Layer-2 for the Original Chain

Bitcoin Hyper positions itself as a scaling solution for Bitcoin. It’s not trying to replace BTC, it’s trying to improve it. By bringing smart contract functionality and faster transaction capabilities through a dedicated Layer-2 architecture, HYPER aligns with infrastructure-focused buyers who care more about performance upgrades than meme cycles.

Early presale rounds are pricing upward, and the model leans into BTC’s security base while expanding DeFi access. For buyers asking what’s the best long-term crypto buy, Bitcoin Hyper offers a functional thesis that taps into Bitcoin’s large user base while addressing one of its most persistent limitations: scalability.

4. Nexchain ($NEX): Interoperable AI Chain With Capital Inflow

Nexchain is gaining visibility as an AI Layer-1 project focused on interoperability, a core theme in infrastructure narratives for 2026. With growing capital allocation across its presale rounds, it’s clear NEX is drawing attention from those who want cross-chain flexibility without compromising AI specialization.

The presale doesn’t lean on hype cycles. Instead, it highlights roadmap clarity, technical specs, and liquidity planning. By designing a chain that speaks to other protocols and prioritizes developer compatibility, Nexchain checks multiple utility boxes. If the next crypto to explode is defined by where funds are flowing early NEX fits.

5. Dodgeball Token: Meme Meets GameFi Infrastructure

Dodgeball Token blends community-driven gaming mechanics with Layer-2 tech, placing it in the GameFi category but with more structure than most meme-based entries. Its presale is structured in multiple phases, and early players can access the gaming environment ahead of the full listing.

What’s different here is the hybrid approach. It’s not just community momentum; it’s paired with infrastructure for in-game transactions and rewards, giving it multiple pathways to stay relevant beyond just branding. Analysts mention it as one of the more active gaming presales worth tracking.

Timing vs Access

When evaluating the best crypto for the future, the differentiator is no longer narrative alone, but its structure. ZKP’s public-only, clock-driven raise is designed to concentrate ROI among early buyers instead of unlocking discounts later. Projects like DSNT, NEX, and HYPER offer functional value ahead of launch, while others like Pepeto and APEMARS operate in pricing cycles tied to timing.

For those filtering between hype and substance, the combination of funding structure, delivery speed, and token utility will define which presale coins actually hold value after listings go live.

Maruti Suzuki will invest 350 billion rupees ($3.9 billion) to build a new manufacturing plant in Gujarat, deepening its footprint in western India as it moves to meet rising domestic demand and strengthen its export base in the world’s third-largest car market.

The decision marks one of the most significant capacity expansion moves by an Indian automaker in recent years, underscoring both the strength of domestic demand and the company’s ambitions beyond India’s borders.

According to the Gujarat state government, the proposed plant will add production capacity of up to 1 million vehicles annually, with manufacturing expected to begin in the 2029 financial year. Once operational, the facility will lift Maruti Suzuki’s total annual production capacity to about 3.4 million vehicles, up from roughly 2.4 million today.

The investment comes at a time when India’s passenger vehicle market continues to show strong momentum. India is now the world’s third-largest car market, and demand has been supported by rising household incomes, easier access to vehicle financing, expanding road infrastructure, and a growing preference for personal mobility. For Maruti, which dominates the entry-level and compact segments, these structural trends remain central to its growth story.

Near-term indicators already point to tight supply conditions. The company currently has an order backlog of about one and a half months for its entry-level models, according to its marketing and sales head, Partho Banerjee. In December, Maruti said sales to domestic dealers surged 37% year on year to a record 178,646 units, highlighting how quickly demand is absorbing existing capacity.

The board has approved an initial investment of 49.6 billion rupees to acquire land for the Gujarat plant, signaling that the project is moving beyond the planning stage. Gujarat has increasingly become Maruti’s manufacturing base of choice, complementing its older facilities in Haryana. The state offers logistical advantages, including access to ports that support exports, as well as a policy environment that has consistently attracted large industrial investments.

Exports are an important part of the expansion logic. Maruti has steadily increased shipments to markets in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia, positioning India as a global production hub for Suzuki’s small and compact vehicles. Additional capacity in Gujarat strengthens Maruti’s ability to scale exports without compromising supply to the domestic market.

The long timeline to start production, with output expected only from 2029, also reflects the capital-intensive nature of modern auto plants and the company’s measured approach to expansion. Rather than chasing short-term spikes in demand, Maruti appears to be planning capacity that aligns with its medium- to long-term outlook for India’s auto market, which it expects to keep expanding steadily rather than explosively.

The investment also comes against the backdrop of a changing automotive landscape. While Maruti remains heavily focused on petrol and compressed natural gas vehicles, it is gradually preparing for a future shaped by tighter emission norms and growing electrification. Having additional manufacturing capacity gives the company flexibility to adjust its product mix over time, whether that means scaling up hybrids, introducing more electric models, or responding to regulatory shifts.

For Suzuki Motor, which owns a majority stake in Maruti, the project reinforces India’s central role in its global strategy. India is not only Suzuki’s largest market by volume, but also a critical export base, and large-scale investments such as the Gujarat plant underline the parent company’s long-term commitment.

At the state level, the project strengthens Gujarat’s standing as a key manufacturing hub and is likely to generate significant employment and ancillary industry growth over time. Maruti Suzuki is thus pushing that capacity constraints should not be what limit its growth in a market where demand remains strong, competition is intensifying, and scale continues to matter.

Taken together, the Gujarat investment is less about responding to a single strong sales year and more about positioning for the next phase of India’s automotive growth cycle—one in which Maruti Suzuki intends to remain firmly in the driver’s seat.