Bank Muscat expands Maliyat financial literacy workshops to newlyweds in Nizwa

# What happened Bank Muscat ran a second financial literacy workshop focused on newlyweds and those preparing for marriage, held in Nizwa, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate. The session was carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and included roughly 40 participants.

# Why it matters The workshop addresses the early financial decisions couples make that affect household stability. Topics covered—budgeting, spending and saving strategies, shared goal setting, and transparency in managing family finances—are practical skills couples can use to reduce friction and plan for the future.

# What participants learned The workshop used interactive sessions to cover concrete areas of personal and family financial management:

• Financial planning for married life, with emphasis on aligning priorities between partners.
• Household budgeting methods to track income and expenses.
• Practical spending and saving approaches suitable for early married households.
• Setting and monitoring shared financial goals.
• Common financial challenges for newly married couples and practical ways to address them.

Participants explored how financial intelligence can support longer-term family wellbeing and resilience.

# How this fits into Bank Muscat's wider Maliyat effort Bank Muscat positions the Nizwa workshop as part of its Maliyat initiative, which aims to extend financial education across the Sultanate. Recent Maliyat activity cited by the bank includes:

• A prior implementation in Dhofar Governorate.
• Specialized sessions for more than 120 students with hearing impairments at the Scientific College of Design.
• Dedicated workshops for women in Nakhal, Muscat, Sur, Ibra and Liwa benefiting over 200 participants.
• Academy programme for school students, which the bank says has reached more than 100,000 students.
• The Maliyat online platform, launched in 2019, offering free courses for adults aged 18 and above.

Bank Muscat describes these efforts as part of its community programmes and partnerships with government and community organisations to support Oman's social and economic development goals.

# Practical implications for couples and community groups Couples who attend such workshops can expect tangible, short-term changes: clearer household budgets, defined shared goals, and agreed approaches to regular expenses and savings. For community organisations and government partners, the model demonstrates a repeatable workshop format that can be adapted to different groups—students, women, persons with disabilities—and different governorates.

# What the workshop does not claim The account describes the workshop content, participant numbers, and related Maliyat activities. It does not provide independent evaluation data showing changes in participants' financial behaviour over time or long-term outcomes.

# Bottom line Bank Muscat is extending its Maliyat programme into newly married households with practical workshops aimed at improving household financial management. The Nizwa session is one instance in a wider set of targeted financial education efforts across Oman.