The Oman Financial Services Authority, in collaboration with Riyada, held a workshop for startups and small and medium enterprises to promote greater use of the capital market and explain financing and investment options available through it. The session focused on the Capital Market Incentive Programme and initiatives linked to the Alternative Investment Market at the Muscat Stock Exchange, which are designed to help growth-ready companies access diversified funding sources. The workshop brought together selected startups and SMEs, alongside officials and specialists from the authority and the exchange, and covered both incentives and listing requirements. Under the programme, the Alternative Investment Market targets closed joint-stock companies with a minimum market value of OMR 500,000. Incentives highlighted included a refund of two-thirds of income tax paid after listing, the ability to pay income tax in instalments with relief from additional tax charges for up to six months from the due date, and a 10% price preference in government procurement contracts and tenders. Additional support includes three-year exemptions from Financial Services Authority listing and prospectus fees, advisory and training services, simplified prospectus and disclosure templates, exemptions from transformation agent fees for three years, fast-track access to Development Bank financing, and Muscat Stock Exchange coverage of issue manager costs for the first five AIM listings. The workshop also addressed challenges startups face in accessing finance and investment and forms part of a broader series of initiatives to link the entrepreneurship ecosystem more closely with Oman’s capital market.

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