Omani policymakers have sought to achieve steady progress on economic reforms – described by the International Monetary Fund as “reform momentum” – while continuing to advance development initiatives. The initial years of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said’s rule, which began in January 2020, involved stabilizing the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic shock and addressing long-standing, systemic vulnerabilities in the economy. In early 2024, the government launched the National Programme for Fiscal Sustainability and Financial Sector Development (Estidamah), which has a three-year mandate to advance fiscal balance initiatives while simultaneously developing the financial sector.
AGSIW was pleased to host a conversation with His Excellency Mahmood Al-Aweini, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance of the Sultanate of Oman, who oversees the National Programme for Fiscal Sustainability and Financial Sector Development.