To  achieve  its goals in disseminating  awareness of  investors in securities, the Financial Services Authority is currently launching an awareness package via social media accounts under the hashtag #Your attendance makes difference, coinciding with the season of annual general meetings of public joint companies, which will be held during the current month of March.

The move aims to educating the shareholders on the importance of attending the general meetings, interacting with its agenda and exercising their legal rights to vote on the resolutions and hold the boards of directors accountable through video conferencing via the online platform administered by Muscat Clearing and Depository Company or personal attendance if it is held at a specific location.

The  annual general meetings  take place  after the  listed companies  on the Muscat Stock Exchange disclose the audited annual financial statements, board of directors’ report,  management discussions and analysis report, the company’s corporate governance  report and other reports related to the audited financial statements. The annual ordinary general meetings are held within a maximum of 90 days from the end of the issuers financial year.

It is worth noting that the FSA continuously emphasizes to listed companies and funds the importance of taking specific measures to convene the general meeting and send the notices to shareholders and investment unit holders via the platform within sufficient time at no less than 15 days from the date of the general meeting.

The general meetings of companies and funds have extensive powers including shareholder’s right to vote and object to the resolutions in addition to assessing the efficiency of the board members and their ability to contribute effectively in directing the executive management of the company and its role in electing board members capable of leading the company to achieve the interests of its shareholders.