MUSCAT: Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) will extend its trading hours from the beginning of June 2026 as part of broader efforts to modernise market operations, improve liquidity and strengthen the competitiveness of Oman’s capital market.
Under the revised schedule, the pre-opening session will run from 9:30 am to 10:00 am, followed by continuous trading until 2:45 pm. A pre-closing session will then take place until 2:55 pm, before the closing price session concludes at 3:00 pm.
MSX said the move aligns the exchange more closely with regional and international markets and provides investors with greater flexibility to respond to economic developments and market-moving news.
The exchange noted that the longer trading window is expected to support liquidity, improve price discovery, enhance market stability and deepen trading activity by spreading orders across a longer session.
The initiative also forms part of a broader programme aimed at developing the exchange’s operational and regulatory infrastructure, strengthening the role of market makers and liquidity providers, and improving the investor experience through digital channels.
Haitham bin Salim al Salmi, Chief Executive Officer of MSX, described the extension as a strategic step in the exchange’s development roadmap.
He said: “The exchange aims to build a more flexible and efficient trading environment, capable of responding to economic changes and enhancing the market’s attractiveness to investment.”
Al Salmi added that aligning trading hours with regional and international exchanges would strengthen the integration of the Omani market with the global financial system and support efforts to attract foreign investment.
He said the additional trading time would allow investors to react more effectively to local, regional and international developments, contributing to stronger market efficiency and trading dynamism.
According to Al Salmi, the initiative is part of a wider strategy to build a deeper and more diversified financial market capable of attracting long-term investment and supporting economic growth in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
He added that the gradual development approach adopted by MSX focuses on enhancing operational efficiency and increasing the market’s readiness to meet the evolving requirements of both local and international investors.
Al Salmi said the extension, together with other market reforms, is expected to strengthen MSX’s role within Oman’s investment landscape and help channel capital into promising sectors of the national economy. — ONA
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