The Sultanate of Oman recorded an increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) by the end of the first quarter of this year, reaching approximately $79.6 billion, while cash flows reached approximately $13.6 billion, compared to $10.7 billion in the first quarter of 2024.
Preliminary statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information showed that the oil and gas extraction sector accounted for 81% of total FDI, with a value of approximately $64.2 billion and cash flows reaching $12.5 billion.
The value of foreign direct investment in the manufacturing sector amounted to approximately $7.1 billion, with cash flows amounting to $1.54 billion, while the financial intermediation sector recorded investments worth approximately $3.4 billion, with flows amounting to $566 million.
Data indicated that investments in the real estate, leasing, and commercial projects sector amounted to approximately $1.7 billion, a 36.8% decrease compared to the same quarter last year.
Total foreign direct investment in the transportation, storage, and communications sector amounted to approximately $930.5 million, with inflows amounting to $8.3 million. The electricity and water sector recorded investments worth $759.2 million, a decrease of 11% compared to the first quarter of 2024. Investments in the trade sector amounted to approximately $681.2 million, with inflows amounting to $37.7 million.
In the hotels and restaurants sector, the total value of investments by the end of the first quarter of this year amounted to approximately $303.2 million, registering a slight decrease of 0.5% compared to the same period last year. The construction sector recorded investments worth $230.1 million, a decrease of $12.7 million in inflows, while investments in other sectors amounted to approximately $233.7 million, with inflows of $19 million.
The United Kingdom topped the list of countries investing in the Sultanate of Oman by the end of the first quarter of this year, with a 50.9% share of total foreign direct investment (FDI), valued at approximately $40.5 billion. This was followed by the United States with total investments amounting to $20.3 billion, Kuwait with $3.18 billion, China with $2.3 billion, the United Arab Emirates with $1.96 billion, Qatar with $1.74 billion, Bahrain with $1.2 billion, the Netherlands with $946.6 million, India with $795.6 million, and Switzerland with $783.4 million. The combined investments of other countries amounted to approximately $5.8 billion.
