Oman's Non-Oil Exports Rise 11.4% to 3.6 Billion Rials, Reaching Over 130 Markets
Non-oil exports of Omani origin reached about 3.6 billion Omani rials by the end of June 2026, up 11.4% year on year, with almost all the growth delivered in the second quarter. Re-exports rose 20% and the trade surplus widened 51% to about 4.7 billion rials. Omani goods now reach more than 130 countries, with chemicals the fastest-growing commodity group.
First-half growth concentrated in the second quarter
Non-oil exports of Omani origin reached about 3.6 billion Omani rials at the end of June 2026, compared with roughly 3.3 billion rials in the same period of 2025, an increase of 11.4%, according to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information cited by Argaam. Ghalib bin Said Al Maamari, Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, described the rise as notable.
The gain was not evenly spread through the half. First-quarter exports held at the level of a year earlier, about 1.6 billion rials, and cumulative growth through the end of May reached only 1.5%. The second quarter alone accounted for about 2 billion rials, which carried the half-year result.
Wider trade indicators moved in the same direction. Total merchandise exports rose 15.3% to about 13.2 billion rials at the end of June 2026. Re-exports grew 20% in the first half, an increase of about 163 million rials. The trade surplus widened 51% to about 4.7 billion rials.
Chemicals and base metals lead the commodity mix
Mubarak bin Mohammed Al Dohani, Director General of Planning and official spokesperson for the ministry, said non-oil exports were worth 1.611 billion rials in the first quarter of 2026, equal to 15.7% of GDP at current prices of 10.293 billion rials, against 15.2% in the same period of 2025.
Five commodity groups dominate the non-oil basket: mineral products; base metals and articles thereof; chemical industries; plastics, rubber and their products; and live animals and animal products, led by fisheries.
In the latest commodity breakdown published by the National Centre for Statistics and Information, covering the first quarter of 2026, chemical industries posted the fastest growth at 17%, reaching 216 million rials. Base metals and articles thereof rose 10.8% to 376 million rials, the largest of the three. Live animals and animal products increased 6% to 104 million rials. The ministry reads the pattern as a gradual shift of growth towards processed goods with higher added value.
More than 130 destinations
Omani products now reach more than 130 countries. The ministry attributes the widening footprint to product quality and variety, the country's location, the readiness of ports and land border crossings and their integration with transport and logistics networks, and to electronic systems and simplified customs and clearance procedures that shorten transaction times for exporters and importers.
Oman Exports, a unit of the ministry, supplies market data and reports, guidance on specifications, technical requirements, conformity certificates and market-access rules, and connects companies with importers and distributors. Under the OPEX committee for the promotion of Omani products, the country took part in 17 local and international exhibitions and trade events during 2025, which generated deals, distribution and agency contracts.
Faris bin Nasser Al Farsi, an economist at the ministry, said companies are moving beyond a number of traditional destinations into newer markets including Iraq, East Africa and several Asian markets, and are increasingly signing distribution and agency contracts rather than relying on scattered one-off deals. Food and beverages, manufacturing industries, mineral products, electrical appliances and equipment, building materials, plastics, chemicals and personal care products of Omani origin are cited as sectors with growing opportunities abroad.
Company-level shifts
Salem bin Nasser Al Bartamani, Chief Executive of Areej Vegetable Oils and Derivatives, said the company's products reach more than 40 countries and that capacity has risen from about 60,000 metric tonnes twenty years ago to nearly 240,000 metric tonnes, an increase of close to 300%. The sales mix has inverted: the domestic market once absorbed about 80% of output against 20% for export, while today about 80% of production goes abroad.
Fahmi bin Said Al Hinai, Executive Director of Poly Products, said work with Oman Exports helped the company reach markets including Armenia and Georgia, along with buyers and distributors in Africa and East Asia, with the Chinese market a target for the next stage. He said strengthening the presence of Omani products abroad requires continued coordination between companies, government bodies, the logistics sector and financing, insurance and promotion institutions.
