GCC Markets · updated 24 September 2026
🇴🇲 Doing business in Oman
Stable and diversifying economy with logistics strengths.
Conditions are changing fast — check current government travel and trade advisories before acting.
Structural scores
Highlights: Strategic port locations · Oman Vision 2040 · Growing tourism sector
Key industries
Oil & Gas → Stable
PDO is the main oil producer. Oman LNG exports to Asia are a key revenue source. Block exploration ongoing.
Main investors: Shell, TotalEnergies, China, India
Logistics & Ports ↑ Growing
Port of Salalah and Sohar Industrial Port are major regional logistics hubs with significant expansion underway.
Main investors: China, UAE, India, Netherlands
Tourism ↑ Strong growth
Oman Vision 2040 targets tourism as a major GDP contributor. Natural, cultural and adventure tourism are priorities.
Main investors: UAE, UK, Germany, India
Manufacturing & Mining ↑ Growing
Special Economic Zones at Duqm and Sohar offering competitive incentives for industrial and manufacturing investment.
Main investors: China, India, South Korea, UAE
Sector priorities
- Logistics & Port Services — Duqm SEZ and Sohar Port offer competitive incentives and strategic location between Asia, Africa and Europe.
- Tourism & Hospitality — Underdeveloped tourism sector relative to regional peers creating first mover advantage for hotel and hospitality investors.
- Renewable Energy — Oman targeting 30% renewable energy by 2030 with major solar and green hydrogen projects in development.
Talent & work permits
Oman has a young national workforce with universities producing 40,000 graduates annually. English widely used in business.
- Foreign workers: Work visa required and employer sponsored. Integrated visa system managed through Ministry of Labour portal.
- Localisation: Omanisation quotas range from 15% in industry to 60% in financial services. Enforced by Ministry of Labour.
- Key consideration: Oman is investing heavily in vocational training to improve national workforce readiness for private sector roles.
How to enter: first four steps
Oman offers straightforward market entry via the Invest Easy portal. Special Economic Zones offer enhanced incentives.
- Register via Invest Easy portal — Omans online one stop shop for business registration and licencing
- Consider SEZ locations — Duqm, Sohar and Salalah offer tax holidays and 100% foreign ownership
- Register with Oman Tax Authority — corporate income tax at 15% applies to most businesses
- Develop Omanisation plan — submit workforce localisation plan to Ministry of Labour before hiring
Indicative cost: 10-person team
Professional-services mix (1 senior, 5 professional, 2 admin, 2 support), Grade-A office, registration, legal, audit and tax compliance. Model estimate, not a quote. Model your own team size and industry →
Compare with GCC Markets peers
Common questions
Is Oman a good market to enter in 2026?
Oman scores 7.1/10 on EmergingMarketIQ’s structural index (risk: Medium). Stable and diversifying economy with logistics strengths. Current-conditions score: 4.8/10 (The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to commercial shipping since 28 Feb 2026 (single-digit daily transits vs ~85 pre-crisis); the US naval blockade of Iran was reinstated in mid-July after the interim ceasefire collapsed. US–Iran talks are under way — on 23 Sep Iran tabled a road map including a 60-day regionwide ceasefire and phased reopening, not yet agreed. Oman has been less targeted than other Gulf states and plays a mediation role; its ports outside the strait (Duqm, Salalah) offer some rerouting capacity.) — updated 24 September 2026.
How much does it cost to set up a 10-person office in Oman?
Our cost model estimates about US$967k for the first year (≈US$77k per month run-rate plus ≈US$19k one-off setup) for a 10-person professional-services team. Indicative only.
What are the first steps to set up a company in Oman?
Register via Invest Easy portal — Omans online one stop shop for business registration and licencing Then: Consider SEZ locations — Duqm, Sohar and Salalah offer tax holidays and 100% foreign ownership Then: Register with Oman Tax Authority — corporate income tax at 15% applies to most businesses Then: Develop Omanisation plan — submit workforce localisation plan to Ministry of Labour before hiring
Source: EmergingMarketIQ country dataset — current conditions, alerts, GDP (World Bank 2025) and FX updated 24 September 2026; structural scores reviewed 24 September 2026. Rules, rates and conditions change — verify with local counsel before acting. Not legal, tax or investment advice.