Oman | More to Follow: Bahrain | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | UAE Summary

Oman: Brief
 
Investment and financial services business in Arabia region at large is one of the most vibrant. Of course, the dynamics this industry varies from one region to another region and you cannot compare Hong Kong, Bombay and Bahrain on one platform as each of them offers unique set of opportunities and environment.
 
Arab and particularly GCC financial markets are growing at a rapid pace, indices touches all time high and companies showing phenomenal financial performance, stock prices going up and investment pouring in the region.
 
Among Arabia, I am most impressed with Oman. It’s a country enjoying high degree of stability and government conscious of aligning with global forces and continue to work on globalizing Oman economy and emphasizing upon free trade and developing financial market.
 
With 150 companies listed on Muscat Securities market (MSM), it is one of the leading stock exchange on GCC platform. Major chunk of these 150 companies are in Banking and diversified financial services with around 50 companies, apart from that food and beverages, chemical, Glass-concrete, basic services and 15 companies in travel and leisure which shows the prosperity and penchant towards leisure in the country.
 
Banks and diversified companies are ruling the markets with benchmark index MSM-30 have more than 50 per cent coverage. MSM has subsidiary company, Muscat Depository and Securities Registration co. One of the impressive thing about financial markets in Oman is the brokerage firms on Muscat Stock exchange. They are twenty and almost all of them highly professional outfits tune in with financial research and analytics.

Oman has population of 2.5 million and 20 brokerage firms in the country speak volume about the potential of equity investment in country no other country in GCC has this level of penetration.