Oman
Reviews Capital Market Opportunities at GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue in London

London,
20 Oct 2026 (ONA) — The Sultanate of Oman, represented by “Invest Oman”
lounge at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Muscat
Stock Exchange, and the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, participated in the
Strategic Dialogue between the United Kingdom and the GCC, held in London, the
United Kingdom.

The
event was organized by “The Business Year” foundation in the British
capital, London, under the auspices of the GCC Secretariat General, with the
participation of senior government officials, decision-makers, investors, and
leaders of economic institutions and international companies.

The
participation comes within the framework of efforts by the Ministry of
Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion to enhance the Sultanate of Oman’s
standing as a competitive investment destination, promote investment
opportunities in priority economic sectors, and expand partnerships with investment
institutions and international companies, thereby contributing to attracting
qualitative investments, supporting economic diversification, and achieving the
targets of “Oman Vision 2040.”

The
participation of Muscat Stock Exchange in this event reflects its role in
supporting the investment ecosystem in the Sultanate of Oman and enhancing
integration between the capital market and national investment promotion
efforts, in addition to highlighting the opportunities provided by the market
for corporate financing and expanding investment options to support private
sector growth and boost the capital market’s contribution to economic
development.

The
dialogue brought together approximately 350 participants, including government
officials and leaders of financial and investment institutions and major
corporations, to discuss the future of GCC-UK economic relations and explore
cooperation opportunities in the sectors of trade, investment, energy,
technology, innovation, financial services, and infrastructure, alongside
strengthening long-term economic partnerships between the two sides.

Haitham
Salim Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange, confirmed that participating in
the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue represents an important opportunity to strengthen
cooperation between GCC and British capital markets and exchange expertise and
experiences in developing financial markets, contributing to expanding the
investor base and enhancing international investment flows.

He
noted the importance of benefiting from international experiences and expertise
in developing financial market infrastructure and enhancing liquidity levels
and market depth, emphasizing that expanding communication channels with global
financial and investment institutions contributes to introducing available
opportunities in the Omani market and supports its openness to new categories
of investors.

He
stated that Muscat Stock Exchange seeks to enhance its presence in
international financial markets, develop strategic partnerships with global
financial and investment institutions, explore cooperation opportunities, and
facilitate international investors’ access to the Omani market, thereby
enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of Muscat Stock Exchange, and
supporting economic diversification efforts and the targets of Oman Vision
2040.

For
his part, Eng. Ahmed Akaak, CEO of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, emphasized
that the zone’s participation in the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue in the British
capital, London, comes within the efforts of the Public Authority for Special
Economic Zones and Free Zones to enhance the presence of Omani economic zones
in international forums. It also aims to contribute to expanding horizons for
economic and investment cooperation between GCC countries and the United
Kingdom, and to introduce promising investment opportunities offered by the
Sultanate of Oman, supporting economic diversification and achieving the
targets of Oman Vision 2040.

He
explained that his participation as a speaker in the dialogue provided an
opportunity to highlight the economic and investment transformations taking
place in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, as well as its competitive
capabilities that qualify it to be a regional hub for advanced industries,
logistical services, and clean energy. He noted that Duqm represents a model of
opportunities that can arise from integration between the economic capabilities
of GCC countries and British industrial and technological expertise, benefiting
from its strategic location on the Arabian Sea, its infrastructure system, and
the major projects it hosts.

He
added that the United Kingdom is an important economic partner for the
Sultanate of Oman, and that the upcoming phase requires strengthening long-term
economic partnerships and utilizing British expertise and technologies in the
industrial, energy, technology, and logistics sectors.

He
affirmed that the Special Economic Zone at Duqm works to maximize the benefit
from existing investments and attract complementary projects, contributing to
localizing industries, transferring knowledge, and developing value chains,
stressing that the importance of these strategic dialogues lies in translating
economic alignment between the GCC and British sides into practical
partnerships and qualitative investment projects that achieve added value for
the national economy.

On
his part, Eng. Nasser Khalifa Al Kindi, CEO of “Invest Oman,”
participated among the speakers in the dialogue, where he reviewed the
Sultanate of Oman’s competitive advantages and capabilities, available
investment opportunities in targeted sectors, and the Ministry’s efforts to
develop the investment ecosystem, simplify procedures, and enhance the
efficiency of services provided to investors.

Al
Kindi affirmed that participation in this international economic forum comes as
an extension of the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and
Investment Promotion to boost the Sultanate of Oman’s investment presence in
global markets. He noted that these participations aim to convert direct
engagement with investors and economic institutions into practical partnerships
and qualitative investment projects that deliver added value to the national
economy.

He
said that the Ministry adopts an integrated approach to investment promotion,
based on identifying promising investment opportunities and developing them in
line with targeted market requirements, enhancing communication with
international companies and financial and investment institutions, alongside
integration with government and private entities to facilitate the investor
journey and accelerate procedures associated with investment projects.

He
added that “Invest Oman” undertakes a pivotal role as a unified
window for promoting investment opportunities and delivering services to
investors, confirming the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve the business
environment by simplifying procedures, developing digital services, and
enhancing the efficiency of the legislative and regulatory framework, which
raises the Sultanate of Oman’s competitiveness and boosts investor confidence.

He
pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman enjoys competitive investment
advantages, including its strategic geographic location, advanced
infrastructure, ports, economic and free zones, and industrial cities, as well
as promising opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy,
technology, tourism, and food security.

He
explained that the United Kingdom is an important economic and investment
partner for the Sultanate of Oman, and that the dialogue represents an
opportunity to deepen cooperation with British institutions and companies,
attracting investments that contribute to localizing industries, transferring
knowledge and technology, enhancing value chains, and creating qualitative job
opportunities for national cadres.

He
expressed his anticipation, through participating in the GCC-UK Strategic
Dialogue, to build sustainable investment partnerships, introduce market-ready
investment opportunities, and transform them into actual projects that enhance
local added value and support the competitiveness of the national economy and
the targets of Oman Vision 2040.

The
dialogue included panel sessions and direct meetings between government
officials, investors, and corporate leaders, most notably a panel session
titled “Finance, Capital Markets, and Investments,” which addressed
developments in GCC capital markets, opportunities to enhance investment
cooperation with the United Kingdom, prospects for dual listings and attracting
international investors, as well as ways to facilitate the participation of
global financial institutions in GCC markets.

—Ends/AG