Foreign direct investments in Oman reach OMR 21.270bn

Muscat: The volume of direct foreign investments increased by the end of the first quarter of this year by 23.3 percent, to reach OMR 21.270 billion, with an estimated financial flow of OMR 4.20 billion, compared to an investment volume of OMR 17.250 billion during the first quarter of 2022.

According to preliminary data issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information, the oil and gas extraction sector has acquired the largest volume of foreign direct investment until the end of the first quarter of 2023, amounting to OMR 15.835 billion, up from OMR 11.697 billion in 2022, followed by the activity of manufacturing industries with OMR 1.571 billion, down from OMR 1.671 billion in 2022, then financial brokerage activity with OMR 1.514 billion, compared to OMR 1.460 billion previously.

Foreign direct investment in real estate decreased to OMR 1.44 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2023, from OMR 1.48 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2022. Foreign direct investment in other activities declined to OMR 1.338 billion compared to OMR 1.373 billion in 2022.

The United Kingdom topped foreign direct investments with a value of OMR 10.352 billion, followed by the United States with OMR 3.508 billion, then China with OMR 1.231 billion.

Meanwhile, the value of investments from other countries; The investments from United Arab Emirates amounted to OMR 934.900 million, from Kuwait OMR 3.778 million, from the State of Qatar OMR 431.200 million, from the Kingdom of Bahrain OMR 375.100 million, from the Republic of India OMR 296.4 million, from the Netherlands OMR 291.500 million, and from Switzerland OMR 181.900 million. The value of direct foreign investments from other countries reached OMR 2.893 billion.