| Economy - overview | Oman is a middle-income economy in the Middle East with notable oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. Sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Oman joined the World Trade Organization in November 2000 and continues to liberalize its markets. It ratified a free trade agreement with the US in September 2006 and, through the Gulf Cooperation Council, seeks similar agreements with the EU, China and Japan. To reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign labor, the government is encouraging the replacement of foreign expatriate workers with local workers. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors, especially in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and higher education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports. |
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| GDP | 11.4% (2005 est.) |
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| GDP - real growth rate | 6.6% (2006 est.) |
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| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2.6%
industry: 38.8%
services: 58.7% (2006 est.) |
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| Population below poverty line | NA% |
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Household income or consumption
by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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| Labor force | 920,000 (2002 est.) |
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| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA% |
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| Unemployment rate | 15% (2004 est.) |
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| Budget | revenues: $14.33 billion
expenditures: $12.81 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.) |
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| Industries | crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber |
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| Industrial production growth rate | 5.9% (2006 est.) |
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Electricity -
production | 14.33 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption | 13.33 billion kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
exports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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Electricity -
imports | 0 kWh (2004) |
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| Oil - production | 740,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) |
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| Oil - consumption | 60,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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| Oil - exports | 721,000 bbl/day (2004) |
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| Oil - imports | NA bbl/day |
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| Oil - proved reserves | 4.7 billion bbl (2006 est.) |
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| Agriculture - products | dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish |
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| Exports | $24.73 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Exports - commodities | petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles |
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| Exports - partners | China 21.6%, South Korea 19.4%, Japan 14.2%, Thailand 12.6%, UAE 7.1%, Taiwan 4.1% (2005) |
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| Imports | $10.29 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.) |
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| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants |
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| Imports - partners | UAE 22.4%, Japan 15.8%, UK 7.7%, US 6.7%, Germany 5.8%, India 4.2% (2005) |
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| Debt - external | $4.259 billion (2006 est.) |
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| Economic aid - recipient | $76.4 million (1995) |
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| Currency code | OMR |
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| Exchange rates | Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002) |
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| Fiscal year | calendar year |
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