Muscat – The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) on Sunday announced that all companies listed on both the main market and the parallel market have achieved 100% compliance with the 2025 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Standards.
This milestone represents a pivotal step in the ongoing development of Oman’s capital market and its alignment with the expectations of local and global institutional investors.
In a statement, the Muscat Stock Exchange said that the achievement reflects the advanced level of preparedness among listed companies and their growing ability to adopt leading practices in ESG reporting, in line with international trends and investor expectations.
MSX adopted the ESG Standards to enhance transparency, strengthen overall investor confidence and attract foreign capital to the Omani market, thereby strengthening the competitive positioning of Oman’s capital market as a future-ready investment destination.
The initiative also supports Oman’s national commitments, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, meeting the obligations of the Net Zero Financial Service Providers Alliance (NZFSPA), and advancing economic diversification under Oman Vision 2040.
This achievement builds on a multi-year transformation journey that began in 2022, when MSX, in coordination with GCC exchanges, unified 29 sustainability and governance indicators, laying the groundwork for greater regional consistency and comparability among listed companies.
In 2023, MSX published Oman’s first guidance manual for sustainability and ESG reporting and launched a dedicated digital platform to facilitate structured disclosures. This provided companies with a clear and practical framework for preparing reports and strengthening internal governance capabilities.
Between 2023 and 2024, ESG reporting remained voluntary, allowing companies the time and flexibility needed to develop ESG competencies and establish appropriate governance structures. Six companies submitted voluntary reports in 2023, followed by a significant increase to 16 companies in 2024, demonstrating rising awareness of ESG requirements and readiness for full compliance ahead of the mandatory phase in 2025.
With the implementation of compulsory reporting in 2025, all listed companies successfully submitted their ESG disclosures, underscoring the market’s operational maturity, regulatory preparedness and corporate commitment to responsible practices, MSX said in its statement.
This comprehensive compliance, MSX added, not only boosts investor confidence but also enables the introduction of new financial instruments, expands the investor base and enhances Oman’s appeal to global capital flows that prioritise sustainability-aligned markets.
Achieving full compliance in 2025 positions the Muscat Stock Exchange as a forward-looking financial marketplace capable of meeting international standards while enabling companies to access high-quality capital. It also supports Oman’s efforts to build a more resilient and competitive economy, reinforces the objectives of Oman Vision 2040 and aligns with the sultanate’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, underpinned by robust sustainability practices.
