Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
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Oman’s Capital Market Authority Approves OQ Gas Network’s Prospectus

Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)
Oman’s Capital Market Authority. (Oman News Agency)

Oman’s Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced on Sunday the approval of the prospectus of OQ Gas Networks (OQGN), one of the OQ companies affiliated with Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

Oman News Agency reported that the Capital Market Authority announced its approval of OQ’s prospectus by offering no less than two billion shares, which constitute 49 percent of the company’s capital, through public subscription.

This is the largest offering in the history of the CMA, in terms of size and market value of the company.

The public offering of the OQ Gas Networks Company, one of the OQ companies affiliated with the Oman Investment Authority, comes within the framework of the National Program for Financial Sustainability and Financial Sector Development, which aims to achieve the strategic goal of Oman Vision 2040 in developing the country’s economy.

As per the prospectus, the subscription period for the company’s shares will extend for two weeks starting from Sept. 26 for the first and second categories, and will continue until Oct. 9 for the first category. Subscription for the second category will close on Oct. 5.

The number of shares offered for subscription has been divided into three categories: institutional, individual and major investors.

The prospectus also indicates that the share of the first category, represented by institutions, amounts to 40 percent of the total offering, which is divided equally among local institutions on the one hand, and regional and international institutions. The minimum subscription for this category will be 100,000 shares, according to the prospectus, which did not specify the maximum subscription limit.

Thirty percent of the total offering will be allocated to the individual category, with the minimum subscription set at 1,000 shares, with no upper limit. The remaining 30 percent is allocated to the investors’ category, which represents qualified investors from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman.



Saudi Non-Oil Sector Grows 4.9% in Q2, Exceeding Estimates

Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Non-Oil Sector Grows 4.9% in Q2, Exceeding Estimates

Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) show a 0.3% contraction in real GDP in the second quarter (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia's non-oil economy grew by 4.9% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, beating the July estimate of 4.4%.

According to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT), this is the highest growth rate in a year, up from 3.4% in the first quarter of 2024 and 4.2% and 3.2% in the last two quarters of 2023.

The IMF forecasts that Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP growth will stay strong.

Its latest report says that smart economic policies, transformative reforms, and increased investment have driven this growth, pushing employment above pre-COVID levels. Continuing these efforts is key to maintaining growth and diversifying the economy.

The IMF also predicts that reform momentum will rise in 2025 with more investment, especially from the Public Investment Fund, which plans to boost its annual investments from $40 billion to $70 billion.

This is in preparation for major events like the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, the 2029 Winter Asian Games, and Expo 2030. Full execution of the national investment strategy could push non-oil GDP growth to 8%.

Saudi authorities project non-oil growth to stay at 4% in 2024 and are confident that Vision 2030 will help sustain this growth long-term.

The General Authority for Statistics reported a 0.3% decline in real GDP in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, better than the 0.4% drop expected.

Compared to the first quarter of 2024, seasonally adjusted real GDP grew by 1.4%. Non-oil sectors grew 4.9% year-on-year and 2.1% quarter-on-quarter.

Oil sector activity fell 8.9% year-on-year, slightly worse than the July estimate of 8.5%, but rose 0.9% quarter-on-quarter.

Government activities grew 3.6% year-on-year and 2.3% quarter-on-quarter.