Oil, Gas and Industry

Oil and gas are the two branches of industry that make up the largest part of Oman’s gross domestic product – in 2013, it was around 51 %. As a result, around 85 % of government revenue still comes from the sale of oil and gas. This, in turn, leads to a huge economic dependence on factors such as the worldwide price of oil and the global demand for oil and gas. The political leaders have a huge task on their hands because Oman is a country that has relatively few oil reserves it can exploit without tremendous technical and financial effort compared to other oil-producing countries. Relying solely on oil and gas makes little sense in Oman if the country wants to continue to be future-oriented as it has been in recent decades. Nonetheless, the oil boom has led to huge economic growth within a very short time. Within fifty years, a modern economy has emerged in the country of Oman, with infrastructure, education and information technology as well as government regulations – a feat that has taken some of the developed world over a century to achieve. However, for this economy to survive in the future, changes must be initiated. That’s exactly what’s happening right now.