The banking sector posted solid growth in 2013 and the first half of 2014, on the back of improving asset quality, coverage and capital adequacy, a burgeoning Islamic banking segment and significant expansion in the economy. The industry comprises 16 conventional commercial banks – including seven local and nine foreign institutions – as well as two sharia-compliant...
In an effort to reduce state expenditure and boost revenues, the government recently announced a plan to sell shares in a wide variety of state-owned entities in the coming years. The privatisation effort, which could eventually result in the transference of a substantial percentage of more than 60 state-held firms to public ownership, is widely expected to have a...
While non-oil economic activity has accounted for a steadily increasing percentage of Oman’s GDP in recent years, the oil and gas industry remains a vital component of the sultanate’s economy. Despite the fact that the country’s hydrocarbons reserves are smaller and generally harder to access than in many other nations in the GCC region, the industry is widely regarded...
In 2013 and the first half of 2014 Oman’s economy continued to expand on the back of rising public and private investment, strong oil and gas revenues and steadily increasing levels of non-oil activity. According to data published by the IMF – Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) does not regularly release inflation-adjusted GDP numbers – real GDP...
Trade relations between the GCC and Asian economies have been growing steadily for some time now. Recent developments suggest, moreover, that they are set to expand further over the next decade. While there are some risks associated with Asian markets, the GCC as a bloc is deepening its commitment to the region. This is signalled by a number...
Following a negative period for the international shipping market, in 2012 the container route from Shanghai to the Gulf through Dubai experienced the second-highest freight rate growth in the entire Asian region. This news was part of an emerging trend of the maturation of GCC-Asia trade. A relationship that was once just based on energy demand is diversifying and the...
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