Oman's trade surplus narrowed 27 per cent to 6.09 billion Omani rials ($15.8bn) by the end of 2025, as lower oil and gas export earnings offset gains in non-oil shipments and re-exports, reports the Arab News.
Preliminary data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information showed the surplus fell from 8.34bn rials a year earlier, with total merchandise exports declining 7.1pc to 23.26bn rials, the Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.
The weaker trade balance reflects softer hydrocarbon revenues in a year marked by lower global crude prices. Benchmark Brent Crude averaged about $69 a barrel in 2025, down from roughly $80 a barrel in 2024, as global supply outpaced demand and inventories increased.
“Conversely, total registered merchandise imports into Oman rose 2.7pc to 17.167bn rials, compared with 16.713bn rials during the same period in 2024,” the ONA report added.
The agency added that the decline in Oman’s merchandise exports was mainly due to a fall in oil and gas exports, which totaled 14.51bn rials by the end of 2025, down 15.2pc from 17.11bn rials a year earlier.
Non-oil merchandise exports, however, increased 7.5pc to 6.7bn rials by the end of December, compared with 6.23bn rials during the same period of 2024.
Re-exports also rose to nearly 2.06bn rials by the end of December, recording growth of 20.3pc compared with around 1.71bn rials in the same period a year earlier.
The UAE topped non-oil export destinations by the end of December, with shipments valued at more than 1.31bn rials, up 25.3pc compared with the same period in 2024. It also led re-export trade from Oman, with re-exports valued at 724 million rials, and remained the leading source of imports into Oman at more than 4.15bn rials.
Saudi Arabia ranked second in non-oil exports at around 1.07bn rials, followed by India at 699m rials.
In re-exports, Iran came second at 365m rials, followed by the UK at 207m rials.
On the import side, China ranked second with nearly 1.94bn rials, followed by India at 1.45bn rials.
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