Muscat Stock Exchange extends trading hours

Muscat:  Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) announced the extension of its trading hours effective June 1, 2026, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen market infrastructure, enhance trading efficiency, and align its operations with international best practices, reinforcing MSX’s competitiveness at both regional and global levels.

The move forms part of MSX’s broader strategic agenda to provide a longer trading time for order execution, supporting market liquidity, improving price discovery efficiency, and enhancing overall market stability and depth.

Under the revised schedule, the pre-opening session will run from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., followed by the continuous trading session until 2:45 p.m. The pre-closing session will then take place until 2:55 p.m., followed by the closing price trading session until 3:00 p.m., marking the official market close.

MSX said the updated structure is designed to provide a more efficient trading framework that balances execution flexibility with pricing accuracy, particularly during market opening and closing periods.

The extension represents a significant step toward aligning MSX trading hours with regional and international markets, enhancing opportunities for greater integration with global financial markets and enabling investors to interact with the Omani market within timeframes more closely aligned with international investment strategies.

The longer trading hours is also expected to allow market participants additional time to respond to local, regional, and global economic developments and news flows, contributing positively to trading dynamics and market efficiency.

MSX expects the revised trading hours to attract a broader investor base, particularly foreign investors, while supporting liquidity levels and trading activity through improved order distribution across a longer session, reducing concentration during limited trading periods and enhancing execution quality.

The initiative forms part of a broader package of market development measures being implemented by MSX, including strengthening the role of market makers and liquidity providers, enhancing the regulatory and operational framework, and improving investor experience through digital channels.

Haitham Al Salmi, Chief Executive Officer of Muscat Stock Exchange, said: “Extending trading hours marks a strategic step within MSX’s ongoing development journey. We are working to build a more flexible and efficient trading environment capable of responding to economic developments while enhancing the market’s attractiveness for investment.”

He added: “Aligning trading hours with regional and international markets further strengthens the integration of the Omani market within the global financial system and supports the attraction of international investment flows. The extended hours also provide investors with additional time to react to economic developments, improving market efficiency and trading dynamism while supporting liquidity levels.”

Al Salmi noted that the initiative is part of a broader series of reforms aimed at developing market infrastructure, strengthening the role of market makers and liquidity providers, enhancing investor experience, and building a deeper and more diversified capital market capable of attracting long-term investment and supporting economic growth in line with Oman Vision 2040.

The extension reflects MSX’s phased development approach focused on enhancing operational efficiency and increasing market readiness to meet the evolving requirements of local and international investors, reinforcing a more competitive and sustainable investment environment.

MSX expects the measure, alongside other ongoing initiatives, to further strengthen the market’s role as a key pillar of Oman’s investment ecosystem and support the channeling of capital toward promising sectors of the economy, contributing added value to the national economy and supporting the country’s long-term growth ambitions.