The Middle East

Equity listings activity in the sultanate has been muted in recent years. After having steadily risen in number from two in 2012 to four in 2014, only one public offering took place in 2015 – though the listing, of Phoenix Power Company, was the largest in recent years, raising OR563.1m ($1.5bn), more than double the combined value of all...

Oman’s banking sector appears to have ridden out the recent oil price and economic downturn largely unscathed. While concerns over liquidity arose in the wake of the oil price slump given the government’s status as an important depositor, the situation improved in 2017 as the Omani state borrowed from abroad to avoid withdrawing funds or...

A May 2017 survey published by Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information found that 56% of Oman’s residents have accounts or deposits with banks operating in the sultanate, and this figure grows to 68% when only Omani citizens are counted. Omanis benefit from good access to financial infrastructure. The number of bank branches...

From the late 1990s until 2014 Oman’s fiscal balance had consistently remained in positive territory, according to IMF figures, with the sole exception of a small deficit of 0.3% of GDP registered in 2009. However, amid a decline in international oil prices towards the end of 2014, public finances moved into the red for the year, to the tune...

Oman’s economy benefits from large oil and gas reserves, including a sizeable new gas field that began production in late 2017. Located between Asia and Africa – and adjacent to major international shipping routes – the sultanate’s geographic location also makes it a natural regional logistics and manufacturing hub. The authorities are seeking...