Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said gives a speech after being sworn in before the royal family council in Muscat in 2020
Oman carves out niche in global energy trade
The country punching way above its weight in energy is less the story of a hydrocarbon bonanza and more that of a nation seeking to make the best out of what is available
Oman, a small yet strategically positioned nation in the Middle East, is rapidly emerging as a significant player on the global energy market. Capitalising on its neutrality, recent discoveries and midstream and downstream expansion, the country is also pivoting to renewable energy and seeking to attract much-needed foreign investment to fuel its economy amid regional and global upheaval. “Oman makes it look possible to both clean up traditional oil and gas extraction while also attracting investment and interest in new energy infrastructure,” said Karen Young, a senior energy expert at US-based thinktank the Middle East Institute. “It ticks a lot of attractive boxes, as a strategic location
Also in this section
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
14 January 2026
Chavez’s socialist reforms boosted state control but pushed knowledge and capital out of the sector, opening the way for the US shale revolution
