Muscat Stock Exchange Hosts FEAS Conference ConFEAS 2026 to Boost Oman’s Capital Market Presence

Oman’s Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), in cooperation with the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS), hosted the ConFEAS 2026 conference on Tuesday.

The Sultanate, located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, is pursuing economic diversification under its long-term Vision 2040 plan.

Conference Overview and Participation

The event brought together more than 200 participants, featured four panel discussions and an elite group of international speakers who addressed several key topics in the capital markets sector, including regional cooperation between financial markets, facilitating access to emerging markets, technological developments and recent trends in financial technologies, alongside best practices in investor relations and market attractiveness.

Session Themes and Discussions

The first session, titled “Omani Capital Market and Regional Cooperation,” examined the economic development journey of the Sultanate of Oman in light of the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and the role of the capital market in supporting economic diversification and attracting investments. It also reviewed efforts to develop the Omani capital market, progress toward meeting the requirements for classification among emerging markets, initial public offering (IPO) opportunities, and the importance of enhancing cooperation and integration between capital markets at both regional and international levels.

The second session, titled “Accessing Emerging Markets: Investors’ Challenges, Opportunities, and Interests,” discussed investment opportunities offered by emerging and promising markets and the challenges facing investors when entering them, focusing on ways to facilitate cross‑border investment and trading and strengthening connectivity between stock exchanges and financial institutions. It highlighted the importance of developing market infrastructure and aligning regulatory frameworks to facilitate capital movement, the role of global indices in attracting institutional investments, and the requirements of international investors when evaluating opportunities in emerging markets.

The third session, titled “Technological Developments and Trends in Capital Markets,” covered the latest innovations and technical solutions contributing to the development of financial market infrastructure, as well as the role of digital transformation in enhancing operational efficiency, transparency and market resilience. It also addressed modern trends in trading technologies, surveillance and post‑trade operations, and stressed the importance of deploying advanced technologies to improve investor experience and increase the capacity of financial markets to keep pace with global developments.

The fourth session, titled “Enhancing Communication with Investors: Investor Relations and Research,” focused on the importance of investor relations and financial research in strengthening trust and transparency within capital markets, as well as the role of disclosures and the provision of financial information and analytics in supporting investment decisions. It also discussed best practices in communicating with investors, enhancing the attractiveness of listed companies and expanding the investor base, thereby contributing to raising the efficiency of financial markets and supporting their growth and sustainability.

Statements from Officials and Outcomes

Haitham Salim Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange, explained that hosting the conference enhances the exchange’s presence on the international stage. He noted that hosting ConFEAS 2026 reflected the exchange’s commitment to reinforcing the Sultanate of Oman’s standing as a promising investment destination and expanding horizons of cooperation with regional and international capital markets and financial institutions. He added that the conference represented an important platform for exchanging expertise, reviewing global best practices and discussing opportunities and initiatives that contribute to developing financial markets and raising their efficiency and competitiveness. He emphasised that the Muscat Stock Exchange has continued its efforts to develop the market and enhance its attractiveness to investors by supporting innovation, expanding investment opportunities and reinforcing interconnectivity with regional and international markets. The conference provided new opportunities for dialogue and exchange of insights on capital market development, and the exchange looks forward to building upon its outcomes to strengthen cooperation and partnerships while supporting the development journey of the Omani capital market in line with the targets of “Oman Vision 2040.”

Radu Hanga, President of the Federation of Euro‑Asian Stock Exchanges, stated that the conference represented an important international platform that brought together capital market officials, experts and financial institutions to discuss prominent developments in the sector, exchange expertise and experiences and explore cooperation opportunities among member markets and international partners. He added that this hosting reflected the importance of enhancing communication and integration between regional and international markets, as the conference sessions provided an opportunity to exchange insights on supporting innovation, developing market infrastructure, facilitating access to investment opportunities and strengthening linkages between emerging and promising markets.

Konstantin Saroyan, Secretary General of the Federation of Euro‑Asian Stock Exchanges, said: “The ConFEAS conference has proven once again the great importance of regional cooperation. Amid the technological transformations and global changes facing capital markets, the meeting of key stakeholders in Muscat provided an opportunity to align strategic visions, enhance market transparency and build stronger cross‑border cooperation ties between markets in the Euro‑Asian region.”

The ConFEAS conference received support from several leading financial and investment institutions within the strategic partners and lead partners categories, reflecting the interest of institutions operating in the financial sector to participate in initiatives that contribute to developing capital markets, enhancing cooperation and exchanging views and expertise.

Muscat Stock Exchange’s hosting of the ConFEAS conference reaffirmed its role in enhancing communication between capital markets, financial institutions and investment entities, opening new horizons for cooperation, knowledge exchange and expertise sharing, as well as introducing developments occurring in the Omani capital market and investment opportunities available in the Sultanate of Oman.

The conference also contributed to enhancing dialogue among regulatory bodies, stock exchanges, investors and financial institutions, discussing initiatives that support market development and facilitate cross‑border investment flows, thereby reinforcing the Sultanate of Oman’s presence on the map of international economic and financial events.