JEDDAH: Oman’s trade surplus held steady at 1.54 billion Omani rials ($4.01 billion) in the first quarter of 2026, as imports fell faster than exports, preliminary data showed.
Total merchandise exports fell 8.5 percent year-on-year to 5.3 billion rials, while imports declined 11.7 percent to 3.8 billion rials, according to preliminary data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
The latest figures highlight the resilience of Oman’s external trade position despite weaker hydrocarbon exports, with lower import costs helping to preserve a sizable trade surplus. The sultanate has been working to diversify its economy under Oman Vision 2040 by expanding non-oil industries, boosting exports, and strengthening trade links with regional and international partners, while reducing its reliance on oil and gas revenues.
“The decline in merchandise exports was mainly driven by lower oil and gas exports, which fell by 13 percent to 3.4 billion rials by the end of March 2026, compared with 3.9 billion rials a year earlier,” Oman News Agency, or ONA, reported.
The agency further added that non-oil exports edged down slightly by 0.6 percent to 1.61 billion rials, compared with 1.62 billion rials in the same period of 2025.
