Oman Hosts ANNA Extraordinary General Assembly for the First Time in the GCC

ANNA General Assembly Begins in Muscat, Highlighting Oman’s Financial Market Advancements

Muscat: The Extraordinary General Assembly Meeting of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) began today in Muscat. The meeting, hosted by the Muscat Clearing and Depository Company (MCD), will continue for several days.

Hosting the meeting in the Sultanate of Oman underscores the advanced position achieved by the Omani capital market in adopting global standards for the numbering of financial instruments, enhancing transparency and efficiency in trading, and reducing operational risks.

This is the first time the ANNA General Assembly Meeting is held in a GCC country, reflecting MCD’s ongoing efforts to develop capital market infrastructure and strengthen Oman’s presence in international financial markets.

The meeting highlights ANNA’s objectives and its pivotal role in unifying the global language for identifying financial instruments, thereby raising market efficiency and facilitating interoperability among global financial systems.

Mohammed bin Said Al Abri, CEO of Muscat Clearing and Depository Company, stated that hosting the meeting affirms Oman’s status as a trusted financial hub and supports efforts to enhance transparency and sustainable growth in a promising investment environment. Since joining ANNA in 2008, he noted, MCD has contributed significantly to strengthening market readiness through international-standard securities numbering and access to a global network of experts supporting integration and innovation among depository centers.

He added that the meeting brings together CEOs and senior officials of depository centers and member financial institutions from around the world to discuss the future of financial markets and ways to advance integration and innovation in central depository services. This, he said, will help enhance infrastructure, attract foreign capital, and support the Muscat Stock Exchange’s ambitions to be upgraded to an emerging market.

For his part, Stephan Dreyer, Managing Director of ANNA, affirmed that the General Assembly Meeting serves as an important platform to discuss the future of data, enhance transparency, and advance the harmonization of international standards related to the identification and classification of financial instruments.

Representatives from Oman Investment Authority, the Financial Services Authority, and the Muscat Stock Exchange are participating with working papers highlighting the financial sector, investment opportunities, and the facilities available to attract investors and capital.

Hosting this global meeting reflects Oman’s keenness to enhance its investment climate and adopt innovative market infrastructure solutions in line with Oman Vision 2040 and its focus on financial sector empowerment and economic diversification.