MUSCAT - When most people think of a stock exchange, they picture screens, prices and fast trades. The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) wants to be known for something else as well: using market rules and its own programmes to deliver social value in Oman.

Over the past year, MSX has set clearer expectations for listed companies on sustainability. It rolled out ESG disclosure guidelines built around 30 indicators and, from 2025, made annual ESG reporting a requirement for public joint-stock firms. In simple terms: cleaner data, more comparability and fewer gaps for investors and regulators.

MSX also published a sustainability report covering 2024, signalling that the exchange is holding itself to similar standards. The message is straightforward — ESG is not a side project; it is part of how the market works.

This shift sits within a wider national framework. The Oman Investment Authority (OIA) encourages its portfolio to adopt robust ESG practices and directs social investment towards projects with clear, measured benefits. For MSX and its post-trade subsidiary, Muscat Clearing & Depository (MCD), that means supporting initiatives that make a difference in communities while strengthening market integrity.

Governance is the backbone. MSX has built internal capacity for ESG and diversity and inclusion, aligning operations with global practice and helping issuers raise the quality of their disclosures. The aim is to move away from ad-hoc donations and towards accountable, long-term programmes that can be tracked and improved.

For investors, these steps mean more reliable information to judge risk and opportunity. For society, they mean capital markets that help fund growth while paying attention to people and the environment. It is a practical reading of Oman Vision 2040: competitiveness and social progress can reinforce each other.

MSX’s evolving role is broader than matching buyers and sellers. By tightening disclosure rules, modelling better practice and backing targeted community initiatives, the exchange is positioning itself as a partner in building a resilient, inclusive economy — one where transparency supports confidence and confidence supports investment.

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