Oman's first-half 2026 figures: manufacturing leads, so where is the investor's opportunity?

On 28 October 2026, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion met journalists and economic writers and presented first-half 2026 indicators and the priorities ahead. Wahj Al Khaleej and Al Youm Al Omani reported the same figures, attributed to the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Here is what matters if you are studying a project in Oman.

The figures as presented

GDP at current prices: OMR 23.3 billion in the first half of 2026, against OMR 20.7 billion a year earlier, up 12.7%. Industry (mining and quarrying, manufacturing, electricity and water): OMR 4.1 billion against OMR 3.7 billion, up 9.6%. Manufacturing alone: up 16.1%, contributing OMR 2.2 billion against OMR 1.9 billion.

Non-oil exports: OMR 4.3 billion against OMR 3.9 billion, up 10.7%. Total trade: OMR 26.3 billion against OMR 23.4 billion. The cumulative stock of foreign direct investment: OMR 32.2 billion at the end of the first half, against OMR 30.9 billion at the end of 2025, up 6.4%. Active commercial registrations: 470,541 up to the third quarter of 2026.

How to read these figures

GDP at current prices includes price effects, oil prices among them, so do not read the 12.7% as real growth in full. The clearer signal for an investor is the direction of sectors: manufacturing grew faster than industry as a whole (16.1% against 9.6%), and non-oil exports are rising. The FDI figure is a cumulative stock, the total that has settled in the country, not the inflow of the first half alone.

Where is the opportunity?

When factories grow, demand around them widens: raw materials and packaging, maintenance and spare parts, transport and storage, technical services and laboratories. When non-oil exports grow, export services widen too: shipping, clearance, inspection and certification. These activities serve producers, and they can start smaller than a factory.

The report also noted that the Industrial Strategy 2040 comprises 3 main sectors, 4 programmes and 256 initiatives, and that exports target 15 markets. Manufacturing and exports are among the ministry's stated priorities.

What the figures do not tell you

Sector growth at national level does not mean demand for your product in your area. The figures do not tell you which factories will buy from you, what they pay, or who already competes with you. So test the idea first: named potential customers, real prices and existing competitors, before you commit to a lease or equipment.

Limits of this reading

We relied on the figures as two newspapers reported them from the minister's meeting, attributing them to the National Centre for Statistics and Information. The final reference is the centre's own bulletins. This is a general reading, not an analysis of any specific project.

Source: صحيفة وهج الخليج، «وزير التجارة والصناعة يستعرض مؤشرات الاقتصاد الوطني وأولويات المرحلة المقبلة» (لقاء الوزير مع الإعلاميين، والأرقام منسوبة إلى المركز الوطني للإحصاء والمعلومات) — 2026-10-28 · صحيفة اليوم العمانية، الخبر نفسه (تأكيد الأرقام) — 2026-10-28 · وكالة الأنباء العمانية، «لقاء يستعرض تطورات القطاعات التجارية والصناعية والاستثمارية في سلطنة عُمان» — 2026-10-28