Oman

As it eases its dependence on oil and gas, Oman has turned to integrated tourism complexes (ITCs) as a conduit for boosting construction, real estate and tourism activity. ITCs are mixed-use developments comprising residential areas, hotels, resorts, leisure activities such as golf, and other amenities, and are currently the only places where...

Oman’s real estate market has continued to feel the effects of slower economic growth over the past year. Rental rates have declined by more than 25% since recent highs were reached in 2014, and 2019 saw prices continue to fall amid concerns about oversupply and expatriate workers leaving the country. The residential segment has been the most...

From 206 BCE to 220 CE, China’s Han dynasty fostered a booming trade industry for silk, a precious commodity in high demand among the elites of the Mediterranean. The Silk Road was the name given to the network of trade routes connecting the East and West at the time. Later, spices and other precious cargo would be traded using the system,...

With manufacturing identified as one of the priority sectors under Oman’s Industrial Strategy 2040, the government is seeking to reduce reliance on imports by increasing domestic production of construction materials such as cement, steel and aluminium. To this end, the National Programme for Enhancing Economic Diversification, or Tanfeedh, is...