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...
Articles & Analysis | The government’s privatisation scheme aims to cut public expenditure and ramp up returns from The Report: Oman 2015
Articles & Analysis | Encouraging Omani participation and domestic productivity in the oil and gas sector from The Report: Oman 2015
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...
Articles & Analysis | The economy is well positioned for long-term expansion from The Report: Oman 2015
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...
Interviews & Viewpoints | Ali bin Masoud Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry: Interview from The Report: Oman 2015
What more needs to be done to achieve the targets set for diversifying the country’s economy?
As rapid industrialisation continues in the sultanate, the utilities sector looks set to be a growth driver in terms of both construction contracts and private investment. In 2013 the Authority for Electricity Regulation reported that operators approved 276 projects worth $357.34m, and the numerous water and power plant projects in the pipeline bode well for future investors. Of particular...
Oman’s insurance sector has continued to expand and was the second fastest-growing insurance market among GCC countries from 2007 to 2013. Gross written premiums reached $942.5m by year-end 2013, a 10.44% increase year-on-year from 2012, with the motor segment accounting for 41% of this total in both years. In August 2014 the Capital Market Authority (CMA), the industry regulator, introduced a...