Tuesday 27 / October / 2026
Oman has taken another important step towards creating a more attractive environment for businesses and investors. The recent decision to launch the National Programme for Enhancing the Business Environment and Attracting Investment from the beginning of 2027 is timely. It reflects an important reality: attracting investment is not only about offering opportunities and incentives. It is also about making it easier for businesses to start, operate, expand and succeed.
Oman already has many of the qualities investors look for. Its strategic location, modern infrastructure, ports, political stability and access to regional markets provide a strong foundation. Significant progress has also been made in digitalising government services, including through the Oman Business Platform. The next challenge is to bring these advantages together into a smoother experience for investors.
Consider a simple question: how long does it take for an investor to move from an idea to an operating business? Registering a company may be relatively straightforward, but an investor may still need land, licenses, utilities, environmental approvals, financing and employees. When these processes involve multiple government entities, repeated documentation or uncertain timelines can complicate the overall experience.
The new national programme provides an opportunity to address this issue directly. The focus should be on reducing time, uncertainty and unnecessary procedures. Investors should know what is required, which entity is responsible and how long each major step is expected to take. Where several government entities are involved, coordination should increasingly occur within government rather than fall to the investor.
Another priority should be investor aftercare. Attracting a company to Oman is only the beginning. An investor already operating successfully in the country may be more likely to expand, reinvest and recommend Oman to others. Government agencies should therefore regularly engage existing investors and ask a simple question: what is preventing you from expanding? Their answers can provide valuable insights into where the business environment still needs improvement.
Investment promotion should also become more targeted. Rather than simply telling international companies that Oman is an attractive investment destination, we should identify specific projects and sectors and actively help investors move from interest to implementation. Logistics, manufacturing, tourism, renewable energy, mining, healthcare, and technology offer opportunities, but investors need more than a list. They need clear information, infrastructure, partners and a predictable process.
The quality of investment matters as much as its volume. Oman needs investment that creates jobs, develops local suppliers, transfers knowledge and technology, increases exports and strengthens domestic businesses. Large investment projects can become powerful engines of growth when Omani SMEs are integrated into their supply chains as contractors, suppliers, and service providers.
Another, less visible but equally important ingredient is predictability. Investors make decisions for many years, not months. They need confidence that regulations, fees, approval requirements and operating conditions will remain reasonably stable. Clear rules matter, but consistent implementation matters just as much.
Ultimately, the success of the new programme should be measured by outcomes rather than the number of initiatives announced. How long does it take to establish a business? How quickly can major projects obtain approvals? How many announced investments become operational? How much private investment, employment and export activity do they generate? These are the measures that businesses and investors will notice.
Oman does not need to reinvent its investment strategy. It needs to make the journey from investment interest to investment implementation simpler, faster and more predictable. The ultimate goal should not simply be to attract investors to Oman. It should be to create an environment where they want to stay and expand, and where they encourage others to come.
Sometimes, the most powerful investment incentive is not another financial benefit. It is the confidence that when a business commits to Oman, the path forward is clear.
