MUSCAT: Ahmed bin Ali Al Maamari, Executive Vice President of the Financial Services Authority
(FSA), affirmed that the issuance of the Promising Companies Market regulation
advances the incentive programme to develop the capital market in the Sultanate of
Oman. The programme, endorsed by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, may Allah
protect and preserve him, aligns with Oman Vision 2040 goals to enhance economic
diversification and the investment environment.

In an official statement, he highlighted that the regulation provides a flexible framework
enabling private, family-owned, emerging, and small and medium enterprises to access
alternative financing tools in a transparent, adaptable investment environment. This, he
noted, helps create diverse funding opportunities in the local market to meet companies’
growth and expansion needs.

He explained that the incentive programme includes three main tracks, one of which is
establishing the Promising Companies Market as a sub-market within the Muscat Stock
Exchange. Its alignment with the regulation, he added, offers more flexible financing
options and supports companies in achieving higher levels of institutional maturity and
sustainable growth.

The regulation, he said, sets out clear listing mechanisms and simplified initial
requirements, such as achieving specified annual growth rates, meeting a minimum
number of shareholders, and paying fixed, published fees. These measures reduce
market entry barriers and improve corporate transformation efficiency.

The Executive Vice President invited all eligible private sector companies to explore the
financing and listing options offered by the Promising Companies Market.

Haitham bin Salem Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), said the creation
of the Promising Companies Market represents a key structural development in Oman’s
capital market system. It will provide a specialised financing channel for emerging, small
and medium enterprises, as well as family-owned and private companies, under phased
regulatory requirements that enable a smooth transition to the main market.

Al Salmi added that the MSX, as the market operator, will offer a fully integrated trading
environment supported by advanced technology, flexible disclosure models tailored to
growth-stage companies, and governance standards aligned with their nature, which he
said would strengthen qualified investor confidence and stimulate market liquidity.

He affirmed that the initiative aligns with MSX’s strategy to broaden the investor base
and diversify investment tools and products, enabling companies to access capital
efficiently while enhancing corporate maturity, thereby boosting the competitiveness of
the national economy, supporting Oman Vision 2040 goals for private sector
development and attracting quality investments.