Saturday 30 / August / 2025
Muscat: The economic diversification programmes and sustainability initiatives have achieved desired results in consolidating investors' confidence in the Sultanate of Oman, affirmed the Ministry of Economy.
These measures have enhanced the country's position as an attractive investment destination in accordance with international best practices, added the ministry.
Oman has made significant progress over the past years in implementing Oman Vision 2040, improving its financial stability indicators, reducing public debt, raising the sovereign credit rating to investment-grade, maintaining good momentum for national economic growth, and enhancing the performance of non-oil sectors, the Ministry noted.
The Sultanate is committed to implementing initiatives and policies that stimulate investment and improve the business environment that will help in improving the economy's competitiveness indicators and attract quality investments targeted in the economic diversification strategy.
The Ministry of Economy emphasised that enhancing the efficiency of the financial sector and the capital market represents a fundamental pillar for progress in economic sustainability initiatives.
This can be achieved by increasing investment attraction, strengthening the role of the private sector, supporting the growth of small, medium, and emerging enterprises, and diversifying the financing options available to these enterprises.
This is part of national programmes aimed at accelerating the implementation of economic diversification targets during the Tenth Five-Year Development Plan 2021-2025.
The Ministry explained that through the national "Sustainability" programme, targets have been achieved to support the Muscat Stock Exchange, that keeps pace with the positive growth of the Omani economy, and enhances the Muscat Stock Exchange's efforts to upgrade to an emerging stock exchange and expand its role in financing the private sector and entrepreneurs.
The Ministry explained that the MSX initiatives have led to the diversification of financial instruments available to investors, increased market depth, and enhanced the exchange's performance by creating activities such as market makers and liquidity providers, which contributed to increasing trading volumes.
The initial public offerings (IPOs) under the Oman Investment Authority's share allocation programme confirmed the steady progress made in efforts to empower the private sector and provide investment opportunities in promising sectors such as oil and logistics.
These IPOs have been successful in increasing the total market value of securities listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange and attracting new investments, which confirms confidence in the investment prospects of the Omani capital market and the promising opportunities it offers, in light of the progress made in efforts to achieve sustainability and economic diversification and the strong foundations upon which the growth of the national economy depends.
The Ministry of Economy explained that the Muscat Stock Exchange's general index crossing the 5,000-point barrier in recent days represents a new positive development that reflects the strengthening of the Omani capital market's depth, improved liquidity levels, and investor confidence in the national economy.
The Ministry noted that the implementation of the capital market incentive programme has improved the investment environment, empowering the private sector, and increasing its role as a driver of growth and job creation.
This is achieved through the incentive package the programme offers to private sector companies wishing to benefit from the programme and list on the Muscat Stock Exchange.
The Ministry explained that the establishment of the "Promising Companies Market," which aims to stimulate the listing of small and medium-sized enterprises, private and family businesses on the stock exchange, represents an important qualitative leap that complements the strategic programmes that are being implemented during the tenth five-year plan within the priorities and objectives of the "Economy and Development" axis in Oman's future vision.
These include financing programmes and developing the investment system, stimulating private sector contribution in the field of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, upgrading and modernisation to support national industry, expanding specialised incubators in the governorates, establishing an academy for entrepreneurship, establishing a special economic zone for small and medium-sized enterprises, and other economic programmes and policies that aim to empower and support the private sector and entrepreneurship institutions and achieve the priorities of sustainability, economic diversification and investment, and national employment targets.
