Oman launches first specialised investment bank

Oman Investment Bank, wholly owned by the government, has become the first specialised investment bank in the country.

The bank was launched in February after the relevant licenses were obtained from the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) and the Capital Market Authority (CMA).

Oman Investment Bank, headquartered at Bait Al Dana in Al Khuwair, Muscat Governorate, has been established to lend support to the government’s strategic goals and meet the aspirations of local and regional investors.

It will offer a wide range of financial services including corporate consultancy and the development of local and regional stock markets.

Abdulsalam Mohammed Al Murshidi, Chairman of the Oman Investment Bank, said that the bank is ready to shoulder its vital role in supporting the implementation of strategic goals of Oman Vision 2040.

The priority is the development of a flexible, diversified and sustainable economy and the introduction of more competitiveness, he added.

The launch of the bank means Oman has taken steps to finalise the international tools and instruments required for developing projects and investments, the most recent of which was the launch of the Future Fund Oman earlier this year (2024).

As part of efforts to enhance its list of future commercial franchises, Oman Investment Bank will focus on providing an integrated set of strategic consultations and capital market products to serve listed and unlisted companies in Oman and other GCC states, in addition to global firms.

The bank will operate in many sectors including energy, industry, mining, consumer, agriculture, money and asset management, real estate, infrastructure, technology, media and communications and any other sectors targeted by the Sultanate of Oman.