Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) organised a media briefing to mark the Sultanate of Oman’s inclusion on the FTSE Russell Watch List.

Oman has cleared two key thresholds required to achieve Secondary Emerging Market Status, which has led FTSE Russell to put Oman on its Watch List for reclassification from its current Frontier status.

The briefing reviewed key milestones in the MSX’s transformation and opened broader discussion on its future and its role in supporting the national economy.

Haitham Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange, said Oman’s inclusion on the FTSE Russell Watch List would open the way for a broad segment of investors linked to global indices to enter and invest in the Omani market.

He explained that these indices use specific market classifications to which dedicated investment strategies are linked, allowing investors tracking them to direct investments towards markets included in those classifications.

He said forecasts indicated that investments worth OMR 175 million could flow into  Oman, based on the market capitalisation covered by the index and its share of the overall index.

He noted that some reports estimated investment inflows of between USD 300 million and USD 400 million, figures broadly in line with these forecasts. He added that the inflows would enter the market in stages, helping to increase the value of daily trading on Muscat Stock Exchange.

Ahmed Al Maamari, Deputy CEO of the Financial Services Authority, said the joint efforts by the government and private sector to develop Oman’s capital market had contributed to tangible progress, as reflected in international indicators and assessments, including the inclusion of Muscat Stock Exchange on the FTSE Russell Watch List.

He said this reflected the progress made in developing the market and the readiness of its regulatory and technical infrastructure.

The MSX has expanded rapidly in recent years with the MX30 rising from 3,943 points at the end of 2021 to 7,567 points at the end of 2026. Market capitalisation increased from OMR 22 billion to OMR 39 billion and the value traded rose from OMR650million to nearly OMR10 billion.