Oman highlighted its investment opportunities in capital markets, industrial zones, and key economic sectors during the GCC-UK investment dialogue held in London on October 20, 2026. The event aimed to strengthen British partnerships to support Oman's economic diversification efforts and featured participation from around 350 government officials, investors, financial executives, and corporate leaders.
Representing Oman at the dialogue were officials from Invest Oman, the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), and the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The event, organized under the auspices of the GCC General Secretariat by The Business Year, focused on cooperation in areas including trade, energy, technology, financial services, and infrastructure.
Haitham bin Salim al Salmi, Chief Executive Officer of MSX, emphasized the potential benefits of closer ties between Gulf and British capital markets. He noted that such cooperation could diversify the investor base and increase international investment flows to Oman. MSX is actively seeking partnerships with global financial and investment institutions to facilitate international investors’ access to the Omani market. Al Salmi highlighted that exchanging expertise with overseas markets would support the development of Oman’s financial infrastructure, improve market liquidity, and deepen the market overall. Strengthening links with international institutions is expected to broaden exposure to Omani investment opportunities.
The MSX engagement is part of a broader national strategy to align capital market development with investment promotion, enhance financing options for companies, and stimulate private sector growth. A panel session dedicated to finance, capital markets, and investment explored recent developments across Gulf exchanges, the potential for dual listings, and ways to attract global investors. The discussion also covered measures to facilitate involvement by international financial institutions in regional markets.
Ahmed bin Ali Akaak, Chief Executive Officer of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, sought British industrial and technological expertise to advance projects in advanced manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy. He pointed to Duqm’s strategic location on the Arabian Sea, existing infrastructure, and major projects as a foundation for further investment. The zone aims to maximize the benefits of current investments while attracting complementary ventures that expand domestic industrial capacity, support knowledge transfer, and develop value chains. Akaak described the United Kingdom as a vital economic partner for Oman and expressed interest in longer-term bilateral cooperation spanning industry, energy, technology, and logistics. He added that dialogues like this play a crucial role in translating shared economic interests into concrete partnerships and investments that bolster Oman’s economy.
Meanwhile, Nasser bin Khalifa al Kindi, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Oman, outlined promising investment areas such as manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, technology, tourism, and food security. He highlighted Oman’s geographical advantages, infrastructure, ports, economic and free zones, and industrial estates as key assets for investors. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion is actively working to enhance the investment climate by streamlining procedures, expanding digital services, and improving the regulatory framework. Al Kindi described Invest Oman as a unified gateway that promotes opportunities and facilitates investor services by developing market-tailored projects and coordinating with both public and private entities to accelerate investment processes. The goal of engaging British investors is to convert interest into projects that support domestic production, technology transfer, and employment for Omani nationals.
The Omani delegation also participated in panel discussions and direct meetings with investors and corporate executives, aiming to build long-term investment partnerships aligned with the goals of Oman Vision 2040.