Latest news with #MSX
Argaam
3 days ago
- Business
- Argaam
MSX in talks with FTSE, MSCI to join global, emerging market indices: CEO
Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) is working closely with FTSE and MSCI to upgrade the market for inclusion in global and emerging markets indices, CEO Haitham Al Salmi told Argaam. In an interview on the sidelines of the HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference 2025 in London, Al Salmi noted that the merger of Sohar International Bank and Alizz Islamic Bank will create a third large-cap company that meets index inclusion criteria, boosting the market's chances of being added to the watchlist. He emphasized that the focus remains on enhancing free float and liquidity, pointing out that the market already meets the technical requirements for an upgrade. MSX is also strengthening its fundamentals to attract more investment, including the planned launch of ETFs in collaboration with brokers, with a particular focus on the top five listed companies. Al Salmi highlighted the launch of the "Promising Companies Market" as an alternative investment platform, similar to growth markets in the region. The new market aims to list small, medium-sized, and family-owned businesses and is distinguished by the absence of market capitalization limits. It also offers various incentives, such as tax exemptions, priority in government tenders and privileges, and expedited access to government services and facilities. He added that the introduction of liquidity provision services and the activation of market makers have helped double trading volumes and significantly enhance liquidity. A third fund is currently being prepared for launch, and companies are increasingly acknowledging the importance of liquidity by appointing providers and expanding their mandates. The CEO also noted that integration with the Abu Dhabi and Bahrain markets has attracted additional brokers, with four firms now licensed as cross-border market makers and liquidity providers. The conference serves as an important platform to connect with investors, particularly since London is a key center for asset and portfolio managers investing in the Middle East and the Gulf. He stated that the event offers a valuable opportunity to highlight Oman's investment story, the progress made, and the attractive opportunities available in the market. This year, eight Omani companies participated in the conference, reflecting strong investor interest in the Omani market. Most of the participating companies are recently listed with strong capital bases and high liquidity, making them attractive to investors. The Omani delegation also included a government official to discuss economic diversification, Oman Vision 2040, and its impact on market development. Al Salmi added that Oman has opened its market to international investors since the enactment of the Foreign Investment Law in 2019, which removed limits on foreign ownership. The market is now fully open to investors of all nationalities, both individuals and institutions. He also pointed out that the government abolished withholding tax three years ago, meaning there are no taxes on profits or capital gains, and all returns go directly to investors. In conclusion, Al Salmi reaffirmed MSX's commitment to securing an index upgrade by further improving market liquidity. This is evidenced by the recent launch of international market-making services, with the first global market maker beginning operations in Oman last week through an exchange hub—highlighting growing international interest in the Omani capital market.
Saba Yemen
7 days ago
- Business
- Saba Yemen
Muscat stock exchange index closes down 0.59%
Muscat – Saba: The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) 30 index closed today at 4,513.93 points, declining by 26.6 points (0.59%) compared to the previous trading session, which stood at 4,540.54 points. The trading value reached OMR 11,238,468, reflecting a 35.3% decrease from the last session's value of OMR 17,360,211. A report issued by the Muscat Stock Exchange indicated that the market capitalization decreased by 0.011% from the last trading day, settling at approximately OMR 28.30 billion. The value of non-Omani investors' purchases in the exchange amounted to OMR 566,000, representing 5.03% of total trading. Meanwhile, the value of non-Omani sales reached OMR 1,609,000, accounting for 14.32%. As a result, net foreign investment decreased by OMR 1,044,000 (9.29%). Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Observer
22-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Opinion- Strengthening the MSX is a national imperative
The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) is working to strengthen the institution's activities to position it among the region's financial markets in the coming period and to attract more investments to the Omani capital market. Recently, the MSX, in cooperation with the Gulf Capital Markets Association (GCMA), hosted a financial conference attended by several prominent figures in the financial and investment sectors. The conference focused on discussing the most prominent challenges and opportunities facing the region's financial markets in light of current economic and technological changes, and ways to develop a more efficient and attractive investment environment. The goal of this activity was to enhance the position of the Omani capital market, making it an advanced financial center, and to provide an integrated investment environment in line with international best practices. The question raised in this regard is related to the causes required to make the Muscat Stock Exchange an attractive market for domestic and foreign investments, and to understand the challenges facing the market at this stage. There are several factors that can be worked on to improve the stock market's operations and make it more attractive, including diversifying investment instruments and developing and expanding trading mechanisms and securities, such as providing investment funds and new financial instruments to increase diversity and attract a larger segment of investors. It is also crucial to enhance transparency and corporate governance standards and implement international standards to ensure the protection of investor rights and reduce risks. Furthermore, it is important to improve the systems and technologies used in trading to provide a faster and safer environment, while relying on financial technology (FinTech), facilitating procedures, reducing bureaucracy, and improving registration and approval procedures to make the market more flexible and responsive to investor demands. Finally, it is important to raise awareness about investment opportunities and the importance of sustainability and social responsibility to attract investors who focus on these standards. In addition, it is important to encourage foreign direct investment, issue legislation that encourages foreign investors, and provide incentives and facilitation for market entry. The Omani stock market faces several challenges, including a lack of liquidity and weak trading volume, which reduces its attractiveness and limits investors' ability to enter and exit easily. It also relies heavily on changes occurring in the oil and energy sector, making the market vulnerable to global economic fluctuations. Some believe there is a need to further improve governance and disclosure standards, increase investor confidence, and close legislative gaps that could lead to uncertainty or reduce investment incentives. They also believe there is a need to increase the number of financial institutions and related services to provide adequate investment support tools and mechanisms. It is also important to enhance financial literacy and raise awareness of the importance of long-term investment and sustainability. The market must have a comprehensive strategic vision focused on diversifying the economy and achieving political and regulatory stability to attract more investment. In order to enhance the daily buying and selling activity in the Omani stock market and increase trading volume, there are several factors and methods that can be developed and improved, the most important of which are increasing market liquidity, improving the market's ability to provide diverse and attractive financial instruments, in addition to encouraging investors to submit their trades by offering incentive programmes, especially for individual investors that can increases investors' ability to execute transactions quickly and without delay.
Metro
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The six strangest games Hideo Kojima made before Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 is out soon but Hideo Kojima's gameography is full of weird games, from Penguin Adventure to a stock market simulator. It would be reductive to describe Hideo Kojima's video games simply as weird, but it's the obvious place to start. He's very much aware of how they come across, and plays up to the commentary about them, to the point where he was worried the upcoming Death Stranding 2 wasn't divisive enough. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, the sequel to the original 2019 hit, promises to be another bizarre experience, with a stop-motion animated puppet as part of its main cast, a villain wielding an electric guitar as a weapon, and a very blatant stand-in for Solid Snake from the Metal Gear games. With the sequel's launch right around the corner, we wanted to look back through Kojima's gameography and highlight the ones that stand out as the weirdest of the lot. This one deserves recognition not so much for its content but for the fact that it was designed to be played outside. That's because this 2003 action role-player for the Game Boy Advance had a light sensor built into its cartridge, with certain mechanics requiring you to make use of real sunlight, since the gameplay was all about fighting vampires. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. It's certainly a novel idea, although anyone who owned a Game Boy Advance knows it's next to impossible to see what's on-screen when out in the sun. Also, it just flat out didn't work most of the time in the gloomy UK. Nevertheless, the game did well enough to justify three sequels, although the last one for the DS removed the light sensor. The first Metal Gear Ac!d game was already weird for being so far removed from the main series, as it merged stealth action with a turn-based collectible card game, while also setting up its own continuity. We have to give the point to its follow-up, though, since it's not even technically a sequel and is itself set in another separate continuity. If that's not quite nutty enough for you the PSP version came with a cardboard box called the *Solid Eye*, that you can look through to get a stereoscopic image. While he didn't direct this one, and instead served as producer, Kojima's influences are still all over this game, particularly in regards to its overly complex narrative. It was quite good, but unfortunately it's not available on any modern formats and the only other version was a Java ME port for non-smartphones. Penguin Adventure is only weird in retrospect, since it's Kojima's professional debut in the games industry and is so unlike anything else he's made since, being a platformer for MSX home computers, where you play as a cartoon penguin. A deeper dive unveils some humorously child unfriendly details, like one of the weapons being an actual gun and one of its multiple endings seeing the princess you're meant to save die. Despite its status as Kojima's first game, though, he downplayed his involvement in a 2014 social media post, saying he only worked on it for a short while and didn't contribute much beyond ideas for some of the boss fights and gimmicks. Even so, a penguin with a gun is still pretty weird. What makes Snatcher so strange is that there was truly little else like it when it came out. It's technically an adventure/visual novel, but Kojima's love of film meant it had a far more cinematic flair than its contemporaries. The influences it takes from sci-fi films like Blade Runner, Terminator, and Akira are laughably obvious, but this was many players' first real exposure to cyberpunk stories. Although it was a commercial flop, it's long since been vindicated as a cult classic. Perhaps the weirdest thing about it is that there's no modern re-release, although there was a radio play prequel that Kojima made with Suda51 and is, predictably, Japanese only. Although he didn't direct Zone Of The Enders or its sequel, Kojima is credited as the series' creator and certainly had a lot of influence over it, with a 2003 interview translated and archived by schmuplations stating he was responsible for its world and backstory. He also appeared to have enough creative control to be the one to scrap plans for a Zone Of The Enders 3, after the less than stellar HD collection botched remasters of the first two games. That's a shame as Zone Of The Enders is a fun giant robot sim, although its mechs are much zippier than you'd expect. More Trending Incredibly niche outside of dedicated fan circles, and growing obscurer by the day, Zone Of The Enders' story is perhaps even more impenetrable than Metal Gear's, with all the cut scenes and characters it throws at you; although the sequel wasn't quite so bad. Even some diehard Kojima fans may not have heard of this one and we wouldn't blame you, since it only ever released in Japan on the DS. You're not missing out, though, since this is no stealth action adventure but instead a stock market simulator. While Nintendo was busy with its blue sky strategy, of expanding gaming beyond the normal core audience, Kojima's response to games like Brain Training was what translates as Stock Transaction Trainer. It was a serious simulator, using real Tokyo Stock Exchange data, and successful enough to spawn two sequels. None of them were ever localised for the West though, probably because so much would need to be changed beyond just the dialogue. Or maybe Konami's US division just thought it was too weird. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima explains why he'll never retire MORE: Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear spiritual successor won't be out this decade MORE: Hideo Kojima put a secret stash of game ideas on a USB stick for when he dies
Observer
18-06-2025
- Business
- Observer
Strengthening the MSX is a national imperative
The Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) is working to strengthen the institution's activities to position it among the region's financial markets in the coming period and to attract more investments to the Omani capital market. Recently, the MSX, in cooperation with the Gulf Capital Markets Association (GCMA), hosted a financial conference attended by several prominent figures in the financial and investment sectors. The conference focused on discussing the most prominent challenges and opportunities facing the region's financial markets in light of current economic and technological changes, and ways to develop a more efficient and attractive investment environment. The goal of this activity was to enhance the position of the Omani capital market, making it an advanced financial center, and to provide an integrated investment environment in line with international best practices. The question raised in this regard is related to the causes required to make the Muscat Stock Exchange an attractive market for domestic and foreign investments, and to understand the challenges facing the market at this stage. There are several factors that can be worked on to improve the stock market's operations and make it more attractive, including diversifying investment instruments and developing and expanding trading mechanisms and securities, such as providing investment funds and new financial instruments to increase diversity and attract a larger segment of investors. It is also crucial to enhance transparency and corporate governance standards and implement international standards to ensure the protection of investor rights and reduce risks. Furthermore, it is important to improve the systems and technologies used in trading to provide a faster and safer environment, while relying on financial technology (FinTech), facilitating procedures, reducing bureaucracy, and improving registration and approval procedures to make the market more flexible and responsive to investor demands. Finally, it is important to raise awareness about investment opportunities and the importance of sustainability and social responsibility to attract investors who focus on these standards. In addition, it is important to encourage foreign direct investment, issue legislation that encourages foreign investors, and provide incentives and facilitation for market entry. The Omani stock market faces several challenges, including a lack of liquidity and weak trading volume, which reduces its attractiveness and limits investors' ability to enter and exit easily. It also relies heavily on changes occurring in the oil and energy sector, making the market vulnerable to global economic fluctuations. Some believe there is a need to further improve governance and disclosure standards, increase investor confidence, and close legislative gaps that could lead to uncertainty or reduce investment incentives. They also believe there is a need to increase the number of financial institutions and related services to provide adequate investment support tools and mechanisms. It is also important to enhance financial literacy and raise awareness of the importance of long-term investment and sustainability. The market must have a comprehensive strategic vision focused on diversifying the economy and achieving political and regulatory stability to attract more investment. In order to enhance the daily buying and selling activity in the Omani stock market and increase trading volume, there are several factors and methods that can be developed and improved, the most important of which are increasing market liquidity, improving the market's ability to provide diverse and attractive financial instruments, in addition to encouraging investors to submit their trades by offering incentive programmes, especially for individual investors that can increases investors' ability to execute transactions quickly and without delay.
