Oman

Three major marketing companies take lubricant and fuel products from the Oman Refineries and Petrochemicals Company and distribute them to retail, commercial and aviation customers across the sultanate. The market they share is a fiercely competitive one, but the most recent figures reveal a healthy sector with capacity for growth.

One of the most pressing challenges thrown up by Oman’s rapid development since the 1970s is how to best utilise its energy resources. As with much of the region, in Oman this question is raised most frequently in relation to natural gas – the once-neglected by-product of the oil extraction process that is increasingly in demand as an energy...

The introduction of new technologies and processes is a key driver of change in all agricultural sectors – and Oman is no exception. In common with most Middle Eastern states, the availability of water has defined the modes and geographical distribution of the sultanate’s agricultural activity, resulting in livestock rearing in the southern...

Throughout their modern histories, GCC countries have searched for ways to extract extra value from their massive oil and gas reserves. In the 1970s, aluminium offered these opportunities. The metal, prized for its lightness, flexibility and strength, has made its way into the production of everything from construction components to soda cans....

The global insolation map has three notable patches: one in western Australia, another in south-west US and the last stretching across North Africa all the way to Saudi Arabia. It is in these regions where the most sun hits the ground, creating the greatest potential for solar energy. The large swatch in the MENA region is of particular interest these days. It runs...