Capital Markets

Capital markets in Oman continued to post healthy growth over the course of 2013 and 2014 with strong fundamentals, steadily increasing economic diversification and prudent market regulation and oversight driving expansion. In mid-2013 the Capital Market Authority launched the MSM Sharia Index which tracks sharia-compliant stocks, and in August 2014 insurance sector reforms were introduced aimed at encouraging more corporate listings. Government plans to float $517.9m of sukuk will go ahead in 2015 and have the potential to jumpstart further issuances in the sector. Smaller companies look set to benefit from Oman’s growing capital markets as the regulator moves to attract greater SME participation through a range of incentives including the expected introduction of an SME index and the CMA’s roll-out of a comprehensive SME strategy in 2015. This chapter contains interviews with Sheikh Abdullah bin Al Salmi, Executive President, Capital Market Authority (CMA); and Khalid M Al Zubair, Managing Director, The Zubair Corporation; and Chairman, Ominvest.