Oman's FDI stock rises 8.7% to OMR32.2bn in Q1 2026

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman continued to strengthen its position as a leading regional and international investment destination, with foreign direct investment (FDI) stock rising to OMR32.2 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2026, reflecting growing investor confidence in the country's economy and long-term growth prospects.According to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), total FDI stock increased by 8.7 per cent compared with the same period last year, while new investment inflows reached OMR2.5 billion during the quarter. The growth comes amid continued economic reforms and efforts to enhance the country's investment climate in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, which seeks to diversify the economy and expand the contribution of high-value sectors.The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion has played a central role in strengthening the business environment through its Invest in Oman platform, the national gateway that showcases investment opportunities, promotes priority economic sectors and connects investors with relevant government entities to streamline investment procedures.During the first half of 2026, the platform achieved several key milestones, successfully facilitating eight quality investment projects with a combined value of OMR460.74 million. It also developed and promoted 22 investment opportunities and targeted 150 global companies to highlight Oman's competitive advantages and opportunities across priority sectors.Engineer Nasser bin Khalifa Al Kindi, Chief Executive Officer of the Invest Oman , said the results demonstrate the effectiveness of collaboration between the platform, government agencies and strategic partners in attracting quality investments and responding efficiently to investors' needs.He said these efforts have strengthened Oman's position as a regional hub for business and investment by improving the competitiveness of the investment environment and providing comprehensive support throughout the investor journey.Al Kindi noted that between 2023 and the end of the first half of 2026, Invest in Oman facilitated the localisation of 45 investment projects worth a combined OMR4 billion.The portfolio included 37 new investment projects, support to overcome challenges facing seven existing projects to ensure their continuity, and the successful promotion of one strategic project, highlighting the platform's evolving role beyond investment promotion to providing end-to-end investor support.He added that promotional efforts are focused on sectors that underpin Oman's economic diversification strategy, including manufacturing, food security, logistics, healthcare and energy.These sectors are expected to generate higher value addition, strengthen local content, reinforce supply chains, encourage innovation and attract advanced technologies, further enhancing the competitiveness of the national economy and supporting sustainable long-term growth.