{"id":7820,"date":"2026-01-05T13:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T09:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/business\/omans-2026-budget-banks-bourse-fdi\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T01:20:37","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T21:20:37","slug":"omans-2026-budget-banks-bourse-fdi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/business\/omans-2026-budget-banks-bourse-fdi\/","title":{"rendered":"Oman&#8217;s 2026 Budget: How Banks, the Bourse, and FDI Shape Opportunities for Investors and Entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitv3sogw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 auto;box-sizing:border-box}\r\n.hitv3soga{display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration:none;color:#fff;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,system-ui,sans-serif;position:relative;overflow:hidden;cursor:pointer;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#111118 0%,#080808 100%);border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border-radius:14px;gap:20px;padding:20px 40px;transition:border-color .2s}\r\n.hitv3soga:hover{border-color:#dc262688}\r\n.hitv3sogg1{position:absolute;inset:0;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong>MUSCAT, JAN 5<\/strong> \u2013 The 2026 State General Budget of Oman will likely be evaluated not just by its projected deficit, but by its ability to transform growing investor confidence into sustained non-oil growth. According to analysis from leading brokerage firm United Securities, indicators suggest a rise in banking activity, a notable rebound in the Muscat Stock Exchange, and increased foreign direct investment (FDI).<\/p>\n<p>United Securities reported that the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) surged by <strong>28.2%<\/strong> in 2025, with the MSX30 index reaching <strong>5,985<\/strong> in December and ending the year near its peak. This increase is attributed to improving market sentiment driven by positive domestic developments and regulatory support.<\/p>\n<p>The report highlights a robust banking sector, with total assets increasing by <strong>6.6%<\/strong> year-on-year during the first nine months of 2025. Credit extended by banks rose by <strong>8.0%<\/strong>, and bank investments saw a significant jump of <strong>19.1%<\/strong>. The asset quality remained stable, with non-performing loans at <strong>4.5%<\/strong> and a capital adequacy ratio of <strong>18%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign direct investment rose by <strong>12.8%<\/strong> year-on-year in the first half of 2025, largely due to increased funding in oil and gas exploration, manufacturing, and construction. The United Kingdom, the United States, and Kuwait continued to be the top three sources of FDI.<\/p>\n<p>The 2026 budget anticipates a deficit of <strong>RO 530 million<\/strong>, following an estimated deficit of <strong>RO 480 million<\/strong> in 2025, which was below the initial budget projections. Funding for the 2026 deficit is expected to come from <strong>RO 130 million<\/strong> in borrowing, with the remaining <strong>RO 400 million<\/strong> sourced from reserve withdrawals. Despite this planned borrowing, experts project that the debt-to-GDP ratio will remain within the <strong>30-35%<\/strong> range for 2026.<\/p>\n<p>A fiscal summary in the report shows total debt projected at <strong>RO 13.827 billion<\/strong>\u2014approximately <strong>33.0%<\/strong> of GDP\u2014alongside anticipated total revenues of <strong>RO 11.447 billion<\/strong> and expenditures of <strong>RO 11.977 billion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the report noted improvements in sovereign ratings from Moody\u2019s and Fitch in 2025, while S&amp;P reaffirmed its rating with a stable outlook. Such developments are expected to gradually lower borrowing costs for the government.<\/p>\n<p>Population trends also play a significant role in evaluating the 2026 budget. As of September 2025, Oman\u2019s population stood at <strong>5.3 million<\/strong>, with Omanis making up <strong>56.6%<\/strong>. This demographic context underscores the importance of ensuring that investment and credit growth translate into job creation, services, and robust private-sector expansion.<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitl8gakw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Oman&#8217;s 2026 budget deficit reflects <strong>strategic borrowing<\/strong> and <strong>reserve withdrawals<\/strong>, signaling an emphasis on fiscal prudence while maintaining a manageable debt-to-GDP ratio. For businesses, this presents <strong>opportunities in non-oil sectors<\/strong> as investor confidence surges, particularly in construction and manufacturing fueled by rising foreign direct investments. Smart investors should leverage this momentum by <strong>targeting sectors aligned with governmental support<\/strong>, ensuring they can capitalize on the projected economic recovery and increasing banking activity.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oman\u2019s 2026 State General Budget will be evaluated on its ability to boost non-oil growth amid improved investor confidence. The Muscat Stock Exchange surged by 28.2% in 2025, while banking assets rose 6.6%. Foreign investment increased by 12.8%, indicating a strengthening economy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":7821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114],"tags":[252,440,161],"class_list":["post-7820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-economic-growth","tag-foreign-investment","tag-oman"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3247536.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7820"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7820\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7822,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7820\/revisions\/7822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}