Oman Launches Annual Industrial Survey Across All Governorates on September 22

Oman to Begin Annual Industrial Survey on September 22, Covering Eligible Factories and Establishments

Muscat: The annual survey of industrial establishments across all governorates of the Sultanate of Oman will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and in cooperation with the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones.

The survey aims to collect accurate and comprehensive statistical data on industrial activities to support industrial development plans, strengthen data-based decision-making and update national databases related to the industrial sector.

The survey forms part of ongoing efforts to assess the performance of Oman’s industrial sector, identify growth rates and challenges facing industrial establishments, monitor current and potential investment opportunities and support industrial planning and investment promotion.

Eng. Ghalib bin Majid Al Maamari, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Trade and Industry, said the survey represents an important step towards strengthening industrial planning and investment by providing accurate data on sector performance, growth and challenges.

He noted that the findings will contribute to supporting the objectives of the Industrial Strategy 2040 and provide an updated industrial database to help authorities better understand the sector’s needs and formulate policies, programmes and initiatives accordingly.

Al Maamari added that the survey results will also support the setting of priorities and the development of the investment environment, incentives and facilities available to industrial establishments.

He stressed that the participation and cooperation of industrial establishments with the survey teams, including the timely and accurate submission of required data, are essential to the success of the survey.

He explained that a high response rate will improve the quality of the results and the accuracy of the indicators and statistics, enabling the concerned authorities to develop policies and decisions that support the sector’s growth and competitiveness locally and internationally.

Al Maamari also said work is underway to reclassify industrial licences, and called on all establishments covered by the survey to actively participate and provide the required information in accordance with the approved standards.

Eng. Khalid bin Salim Al Qasabi, Director General of Industry, said indicators of Oman’s industrial sector continue to reflect growth and an increasing contribution to the national economy.

He noted that manufacturing industries contributed approximately RO 869 million to GDP at constant prices during the first quarter of 2026, according to NCSI data.

The figure forms part of the targets of the Industrial Strategy 2040, which seeks to raise the contribution of manufacturing industries to RO 5.44 billion by 2030 and RO 10.702 billion by 2040.

The contribution of manufacturing industries to Oman’s total GDP reached approximately RO 3.7 billion by the end of 2025.

Al Qasabi also pointed out that re-exports grew by 64.4% through the end of May 2026, exceeding RO 1 billion, reflecting increased commercial activity linked to the industrial sector and its contribution to economic diversification and non-oil exports.

Non-oil merchandise exports also increased by 1.5% through the end of May 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, reaching approximately RO 2.739 billion.

He explained that the Industrial Strategy 2040 aims to strengthen the international presence of Omani products by raising the value of non-oil merchandise exports to more than RO 10 billion by 2030, including exports of metal products, chemicals, energy-related industries and food products.

Dr. Ahmed bin Khalfan Al Badawi, Director of the Department of Implementation and Evaluation of the Industrial Strategy, said the survey supports the development of policies for the manufacturing sector in cooperation with strategic partners.

He explained that current efforts focus on assessing the efficiency of factories and their readiness to adopt Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, as well as identifying the skills required by the future labour market in coordination with the relevant authorities.

Al Badawi added that this year’s survey also supports digital transformation and complements efforts to modernise electronic systems used for collecting industrial data.

The objective is to simplify procedures for companies, improve the quality and accuracy of collected data, strengthen national industrial indicators and statistics and enhance information exchange among government entities through interconnected systems.

He said the survey covers industrial establishments with capital of RO 5,000 or more and nine or more employees.

Al Badawi called on the establishments covered by the survey to cooperate with the survey teams and provide the required information, stressing that accurate and up-to-date industrial data are essential for effective planning, decision-making and the development of policies and programmes supporting Oman’s manufacturing sector.