Oman's trade surplus jumps to 6.5 billion rials on energy exports

Summary

• Oman posted a 6.5 billion rial trade surplus by end-August 2026, up from 3.9 billion.
• Oil and gas exports rose 23.9 percent to 12.1 billion rials, outpacing import growth.
• Non-oil exports to the UAE nearly doubled, signaling a widening Gulf trade channel for Omani shippers.

The latest

Oman's merchandise trade surplus reached about 6.5 billion Omani rials by the end of August 2026, compared with roughly 3.9 billion rials in the same period of 2025, according to preliminary statistics from the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Exports grew more than four times faster than imports over the period. Hydrocarbons did most of the work.

Details

• The headline figure: The surplus of 6.5 billion rials marks an increase of about 2.6 billion rials year-on-year, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information, which described the data as preliminary. The gap widened because export growth ran at 19.7 percent while imports rose just 4.4 percent.
• Exports and imports: Total merchandise exports exceeded 18.3 billion rials, up from about 15.3 billion rials a year earlier. Imports rose to roughly 11.9 billion rials from about 11.4 billion, a modest increase that left the balance heavily tilted toward the export side.
• Oil and gas: Hydrocarbon exports climbed 23.9 percent to about 12.1 billion rials from roughly 9.8 billion, the single largest driver of the surplus. They now account for roughly two-thirds of Oman's total merchandise exports by value, based on the centre's figures.
• Non-oil trade: Non-oil exports reached about 4.9 billion rials, up 10.5 percent from roughly 4.4 billion, while re-exports rose 19.7 percent to about 1.3 billion rials. Both grew at roughly half the pace of oil and gas, shrinking the non-energy share of the export basket.
• The UAE surge: The United Arab Emirates topped destinations for Omani non-oil exports at about 1.6 billion rials, a 91.8 percent increase from 814 million rials. Saudi Arabia followed with 478 million rials, then India with 445 million, the United States with 327 million and China with 198 million.
• Re-export destinations: Iran led re-export markets with 342 million rials, up 69.6 percent, followed by the UAE at 293 million rials and Saudi Arabia at 274 million rials, the latter up 178.2 percent. The centre published the values without breaking down the commodities involved.
• Import sources: The UAE was also Oman's largest supplier at about 3.3 billion rials, up 21 percent. China followed at roughly 1.7 billion rials, a 49 percent jump, then India at 912 million rials, Turkey at 769 million and Saudi Arabia at 747 million.
• The Emirati factor: The UAE sits at the top of all three tables published by the centre: non-oil export destinations, re-export destinations and import sources. Combined two-way flows with the Emirates alone exceed 5 billion rials in the eight-month period.

Background

The National Centre for Statistics and Information publishes preliminary trade data on a cumulative monthly basis, with figures subject to later revision. Oman's merchandise balance has historically tracked global energy prices and export volumes more closely than any other single variable.

Between the lines

The surplus widened, but its composition narrowed. Oil and gas grew 23.9 percent against 10.5 percent for non-oil exports, meaning the headline improvement rests more on hydrocarbons than on diversification. The 91.8 percent surge in non-oil shipments to the UAE is the clearest counter-signal in the data, though the centre did not identify which goods drove it.

What's next

The centre's next cumulative release will show whether the UAE non-oil surge holds beyond August, and whether import growth from China, up 49 percent so far, continues at that pace through year-end.

Source: Oman News Agency (ONA), National Centre for Statistics and Information