Oman's non-oil exports grow 9.1% to RO3.2bn in H1

21/08/2025 04:03 AST

Buoyed by strong demand for Omani products in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and India, the sultanate's non-oil exports recorded a robust increase of over 9% in the first half of 2025.

According to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) on Wednesday, Oman's total non-oil exports rose by 9.1% to RO3.260bn between January and June 2025, compared with RO2.989bn in the same period of 2024. The growth was largely driven by rising demand from key regional and global markets.

Exports to the United Arab Emirates surged by nearly 30%, reaching RO593mn in the first six months of 2025, up from RO457mn in the corresponding period last year. Shipments to Saudi Arabia climbed by 35.7% to RO538mn, compared with RO396mn a year earlier.

India also emerged as a strong market for Omani products, with non-oil exports rising 33% to RO335mn in the first half of 2025, from RO252mn in the same period of 2024.

The NCSI data indicated that the expansion in non-oil exports is broad-based across almost all of Oman's major trading partners, with the notable exception of the United States. This performance underlines the continued success of Omani exporters in expanding their reach and meeting overseas demand.

However, exports to the United States fell by 14.2% to RO189mn in the first half of this year, down from RO220mn in the same period last year.

Non-oil exports to other countries also recorded modest growth of 1.9%, amounting to RO1.345bn between January and June 2025, compared with RO1.319bn in 2024.

In terms of product categories, Oman's mineral product exports stood at RO886mn in the first six months of 2025, an increase of 4% compared with RO853mn in the same period last year. Exports of chemical products rose by 4.4% to RO403mn, up from RO386mn.

With enhanced production capacity in Oman's downstream industries, exports of plastics, rubber and related items grew by 3.1% to RO488mn, compared with RO473mn in the corresponding period of 2024.

Base metals and related articles contributed RO674mn in export value during the six-month period, reflecting a 0.5% increase from RO671mn last year. Meanwhile, exports of live animals and animal products surged 150% to RO274mn this year, against RO109mn in the first half of 2024.

In contrast, Oman's re-export activity declined by 5.9% in the first six months of 2025, falling to RO815mn from RO867mn in the same period of 2024. This decline was primarily attributed to lower transshipments of transport equipment and mineral products in the first half of this year.

Muscat Daily