Muscat:The Sultanate of Oman's trade balance recorded a significant surplus of approximately RO 6.5 billion by the end of August 2026. This marks an increase from the RO 3.9 billion surplus recorded during the same period in 2025, based on preliminary statistics from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
According to Oman News Agency, the total value of Oman's commodity exports exceeded RO 18.3 billion by the end of August 2026. This represents a 19.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025, when export values were approximately RO 15.3 billion. During the same time, merchandise imports rose by 4.4 percent to around RO 11.9 billion, up from about RO 11.4 billion the previous year.
The value of oil and gas exports surged by 23.9 percent, reaching approximately RO 12.1 billion by the end of August 2026, compared to about RO 9.8 billion in 2025. Non-oil merchandise exports also saw a rise, reaching approximately RO 4.9 billion, marking a 10.5 percent increase from about RO 4.4 billion. Re-exports grew by 19.7 percent, standing at approximately RO 1.3 billion, compared to around RO 1.1 billion the previous year.
The United Arab Emirates was the leading importer of Omani non-oil exports, with values reaching approximately RO 1.6 billion by the end of August 2026, showing a growth of 91.8 percent from RO 814 million in 2025. Saudi Arabia ranked second at RO 478 million, followed by India at RO 445 million, the United States at RO 327 million, and China at RO 198 million.
In re-exports, Iran topped the list of receiving countries with a value of RO 342 million by the end of August 2026, a 69.6 percent increase from the previous year. The United Arab Emirates followed with RO 293 million, and Saudi Arabia recorded a 178.2 percent increase at RO 274 million, followed by the United Kingdom at RO 35 million and Somalia at RO 29 million.
Regarding merchandise imports, the United Arab Emirates was the largest supplier to Oman, with imports valued at approximately RO 3.3 billion by the end of August 2026, a 21 percent increase from about RO 2.7 billion in 2025. China was second with imports of approximately RO 1.7 billion, a 49 percent increase from around RO 1.2 billion, followed by India at RO 912 million, Turkey at RO 769 million, and Saudi Arabia at RO 747 million.
