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The abundance of mineral resources in Oman has long been known, however, its full potential has only recently been tapped. The non-metallic mineral limestone has a purity of 99.8%, the highest in the world, and gypsum, of which Oman is the largest exporter globally, provide a steady source of GDP for the sector. However, the most notable...

Manufacturing is on track to reach the target contribution of 15% of GDP by 2020 laid out by Oman’s Vision 2020 economic development plan, which was first announced in 1995. Indeed, Oman has accomplished 70% of its ambitions in Vision 2020, Talal bin Sulaiman Al Rahbi, deputy secretary general of the Supreme Council of Planning (SCP), told...

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the engines of global economic growth and employment, accounting for an average of 33% of GDP and 45% of the workforce in high-income countries, and over 60% of GDP and 70% of employment in developing economies. In the case of the latter, the rise in the number of SMEs has been crucial to economic...

Urbanisation is a mega-trend redefining contemporary life in both developed and emerging markets across the world. This mass rural-to-urban movement of people and expansion of cities to absorb formerly isolated villages is a relatively recent phenomenon, at least in the developing world. According to the UN, in 1950, 751m people lived in urban...

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...

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...