Despite ongoing economic pressures associated with the drop in oil prices, Oman’s diversification strategy and efforts to enhance wider revenue streams are beginning to bear fruit, as witnessed by continued growth in the non-oil sector despite dropping incomes and wider regional instability.
Oman’s construction sector was worth an estimated $5.2bn in 2014, up from $4.9bn in 2013, and forecasts show that it will continue to grow rapidly, to $5.6bn in 2015 and $6.0bn in 2016. Although the drop in oil prices will likely curtail public spending in the sector if prices remain depressed, this has certainly not been the case so far. Indeed, the total value of projects planned and under...
Oman’s long history of political stability coupled with its favorable international trade agreements and special economic zones has ensured strong growth in economic output and exports in recent years. The fall in global prices is undoubtedly a concern for the sultanate, but the sustained focus on diversification schemes, as well as the country’s ongoing spending commitments on big-ticket projects should ensure steady growth moving forward.
The construction sector is witnessing rapid expansion in Oman on the back of government investment in major infrastructure projects. The government has budgeted an estimated $77.68bn for development projects as part of the 2011-15 five-year plan, up 113% over the previous five-year plan, with the Oman National Railway Project comprising 45% of the total value of all current transportation...
Although the sultanate’s petroleum wealth has traditionally provided a backbone for growth, efforts are well under way to diversify away from hydrocarbons. Oman Vision 2020 has laid out plans to boost industrialisation within the sultanate and to encourage the private sector to take a more active role in the economy and in the provision of jobs, both of which are billed as key drivers for growth.
The sultanate’s economy continues to enjoy the benefits of petroleum wealth, which has provided budget surpluses in most years and served as a backbone for growth. However, planning is well under way for an era in which oil will not be the main economic driver, with the twin goals of diversification and creating an increased number of private sector jobs at the top of the government’s current agenda.
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