London: The Sultanate of Oman, represented by Invest Oman lounge at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Muscat Stock Exchange, and the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, participated in the Strategic Dialogue between the United Kingdom and the GCC, held in London, the United Kingdom.
The event was organised by "The Business Year" foundation in the British capital, London, under the auspices of the GCC Secretariat General, with the participation of senior government officials, decision-makers, investors, and leaders of economic institutions and international companies.
The participation comes within the framework of efforts by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion to enhance the Sultanate of Oman's standing as a competitive investment destination, promote investment opportunities in priority economic sectors, and expand partnerships with investment institutions and international companies, thereby contributing to attracting qualitative investments, supporting economic diversification, and achieving the targets of "Oman Vision 2040."
The participation of Muscat Stock Exchange in this event reflects its role in supporting the investment ecosystem in the Sultanate of Oman and enhancing integration between the capital market and national investment promotion efforts, in addition to highlighting the opportunities provided by the market for corporate financing and expanding investment options to support private sector growth and boost the capital market's contribution to economic development.
The dialogue brought together approximately 350 participants, including government officials and leaders of financial and investment institutions and major corporations, to discuss the future of GCC-UK economic relations and explore cooperation opportunities in the sectors of trade, investment, energy, technology, innovation, financial services, and infrastructure, alongside strengthening long-term economic partnerships between the two sides.
Haitham Salim Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange, confirmed that participating in the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue represents an important opportunity to strengthen cooperation between GCC and British capital markets and exchange expertise and experiences in developing financial markets, contributing to expanding the investor base and enhancing international investment flows.
He noted the importance of benefiting from international experiences and expertise in developing financial market infrastructure and enhancing liquidity levels and market depth, emphasising that expanding communication channels with global financial and investment institutions contributes to introducing available opportunities in the Omani market and supports its openness to new categories of investors.
He stated that Muscat Stock Exchange seeks to enhance its presence in international financial markets, develop strategic partnerships with global financial and investment institutions, explore cooperation opportunities, and facilitate international investors' access to the Omani market, thereby enhancing the attractiveness and competitiveness of Muscat Stock Exchange, and supporting economic diversification efforts and the targets of Oman Vision 2040.
Eng. Ahmed Akaak, CEO of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, emphasised that the zone's participation in the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue in the British capital, London, comes within the efforts of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones to enhance the presence of Omani economic zones in international forums. It also aims to contribute to expanding horizons for economic and investment cooperation between GCC countries and the United Kingdom, and to introduce promising investment opportunities offered by the Sultanate of Oman, supporting economic diversification and achieving the targets of Oman Vision 2040.
He explained that his participation as a speaker in the dialogue provided an opportunity to highlight the economic and investment transformations taking place in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, as well as its competitive capabilities that qualify it to be a regional hub for advanced industries, logistical services, and clean energy. He noted that Duqm represents a model of opportunities that can arise from integration between the economic capabilities of GCC countries and British industrial and technological expertise, benefiting from its strategic location on the Arabian Sea, its infrastructure system, and the major projects it hosts.
He added that the United Kingdom is an important economic partner for the Sultanate of Oman, and that the upcoming phase requires strengthening long-term economic partnerships and utilising British expertise and technologies in the industrial, energy, technology, and logistics sectors.
He affirmed that the Special Economic Zone at Duqm works to maximise the benefit from existing investments and attract complementary projects, contributing to localising industries, transferring knowledge, and developing value chains, stressing that the importance of these strategic dialogues lies in translating economic alignment between the GCC and British sides into practical partnerships and qualitative investment projects that achieve added value for the national economy.
On his part, Eng. Nasser Khalifa Al Kindi, CEO of Invest Oman, participated among the speakers in the dialogue, where he reviewed the Sultanate of Oman's competitive advantages and capabilities, available investment opportunities in targeted sectors, and the Ministry's efforts to develop the investment ecosystem, simplify procedures, and enhance the efficiency of services provided to investors.
Al Kindi affirmed that participation in this international economic forum comes as an extension of the efforts of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion to boost the Sultanate of Oman's investment presence in global markets. He noted that these participations aim to convert direct engagement with investors and economic institutions into practical partnerships and qualitative investment projects that deliver added value to the national economy.
He said that the Ministry adopts an integrated approach to investment promotion, based on identifying promising investment opportunities and developing them in line with targeted market requirements, enhancing communication with international companies and financial and investment institutions, alongside integration with government and private entities to facilitate the investor journey and accelerate procedures associated with investment projects.
He added that Invest Oman undertakes a pivotal role as a unified window for promoting investment opportunities and delivering services to investors, confirming the Ministry's ongoing efforts to improve the business environment by simplifying procedures, developing digital services, and enhancing the efficiency of the legislative and regulatory framework, which raises the Sultanate of Oman's competitiveness and boosts investor confidence.
He pointed out that the Sultanate of Oman enjoys competitive investment advantages, including its strategic geographic location, advanced infrastructure, ports, economic and free zones, and industrial cities, as well as promising opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, renewable energy, technology, tourism, and food security.
He explained that the United Kingdom is an important economic and investment partner for the Sultanate of Oman, and that the dialogue represents an opportunity to deepen cooperation with British institutions and companies, attracting investments that contribute to localising industries, transferring knowledge and technology, enhancing value chains, and creating qualitative job opportunities for national cadres.
He expressed his anticipation, through participating in the GCC-UK Strategic Dialogue, to build sustainable investment partnerships, introduce market-ready investment opportunities, and transform them into actual projects that enhance local added value and support the competitiveness of the national economy and the targets of Oman Vision 2040.
The dialogue included panel sessions and direct meetings between government officials, investors, and corporate leaders, most notably a panel session titled "Finance, Capital Markets, and Investments," which addressed developments in GCC capital markets, opportunities to enhance investment cooperation with the United Kingdom, prospects for dual listings and attracting international investors, as well as ways to facilitate the participation of global financial institutions in GCC markets.