Oman advances 3 places in competitiveness index
Geneva: The Sultanate of Oman has achieved progress in the 2026 World Competitiveness Report, advancing three places to secure the 25th position globally out of the 70 economies covered by the report, compared to the 28th rank in 2025. This indicator reflects the sustained improvement in the competitiveness of the national economy and the enhanced attractiveness of the business and investment environment.
This achievement builds upon national efforts aimed at strengthening Oman’s competitiveness and improving the investment climate, underpinned by the implementation of Oman Vision 2040 targets, economic diversification programmes, and the legislative and regulatory reforms witnessed in the Sultanate of Oman over recent years.
The 2026 edition marks Oman’s second participation in the World Competitiveness Report, following its inaugural inclusion in 2025 through a partnership between the National Competitiveness Office and the World Competitiveness Center of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD). This partnership has enabled Oman to benchmark its performance against one of the foremost internationally recognised methodologies for evaluating economic competitiveness, which encompasses four principal pillars: Economic Performance, Government Efficiency, Business Efficiency and Infrastructure.
The report’s findings demonstrate that Oman achieved advanced performance across several key pillars, ranking 15th globally in Government Efficiency and 18th in Business Efficiency. These results reflect the efficacy of government policies and continued investment in infrastructure development and services conducive to economic growth.
The results revealed that Oman possesses a range of competitive advantages that have solidified its standing as an attractive investment destination. It secured the 1st position globally for levying no personal income tax, 2nd globally for tax revenue collected, 4th globally for investment incentives and consumption tax rate, and 7th globally for inward foreign direct investment flows as a percentage of GDP—underscoring the appeal of the investment climate and the growing confidence in the Omani economy.
Oman also achieved advanced rankings in indicators related to policy and legislative efficiency, placing 5th globally in investment incentives, 7th in the legal and regulatory framework, 7th in the adaptability of government policies to changing circumstances, and 6th in public finance and social cohesion. These indicators reinforce the stability of the business environment and enhance Oman’s international competitiveness.
In the Economic Performance pillar, Oman registered strong results, including 4th globally in the low risk of businesses relocating abroad, 9th in inflation, 10th in economic resilience, and 14th in real growth of gross fixed capital formation—reflecting the stability of the national economy and its capacity to sustain growth and investment.
In the realm of Business Efficiency and entrepreneurship, Oman achieved 1st globally in corporate engagement with potential biases in AI applications, 3rd in entrepreneurial acceptance of failure as part of the entrepreneurial journey, 7th in venture capital, and 10th in entrepreneurial spirit. These results demonstrate the evolving business environment and its growing capacity to foster innovation and growth.
Oman also excelled in Infrastructure and digital transformation indicators, ranking 1st globally in mobile broadband subscribers, 4th in AI skills, 4th in corporate commitment to AI-related legislation, 5th in environmental laws, and 7th in telecommunications investment. These achievements underscore Oman’s preparedness for the demands of the digital economy and the economy of the future.
The results of the CEO survey, a core component of the index, indicated that government policy stability ranked as the foremost factor attracting investment to Oman at 50.7%, followed by a business-friendly environment at 42%, government efficiency at 39.1%, and economic dynamism at 37.7%. This reflects the private sector’s confidence in Oman’s investment environment.
The National Competitiveness Office, in collaboration with relevant government and private entities, continues to monitor Oman’s performance across international indicators, identify opportunities for improvement, and enhance national competitiveness in support of achieving the targets of Oman Vision 2040. — ONA
