Oman’s 2026 six ‘I’ agenda

You know the moment when a country’s economic story stops being a promise and starts becoming a pipeline — projects that break ground, exports that ship on time and citizens who find skilled work close to home. As 2026 begins, Oman has a real chance to make that leap. The ingredients are visible: stronger fiscal credibility, clearer diversification priorities and new trade access that can translate into commercial momentum. But one condition stands above all others: delivery must become a discipline, not a slogan.
I propose a practical framework for 2026: the Five I’s that guide economic development — to Invest, to Innovate, to Industrialise, to Integrate and to Internationalise — plus a Sixth I that decides whether the first five succeed. That sixth I is to implement. Implementation is the game changer because it turns strategies into systems and systems into outcomes: revenue, productivity and jobs.
A timely catalyst strengthens the outlook. Oman and India have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), designed to widen market access and deepen business ties. For Omani companies, CEPA is not just a diplomatic milestone; it is a commercial instrument waiting to be used. For global investors, it signals that Oman intends to be a platform — a stable base from which to serve the wider region.
The challenge of 2026 is therefore practical, not political: to make CEPA usable for firms on the ground.
At home, macroeconomic progress has improved confidence. International assessments point to sustained fiscal and external surpluses in 2024, declining public debt and low inflation. This matters for every feasibility study and financing discussion. A credible macro framework reduces uncertainty, supports the cost of capital and allows policy to focus on competitiveness rather than crisis management.
Yet growth is only “felt” when it becomes opportunity. The business community measures progress in factory shifts, signed purchase orders, new hires and faster approvals. The Five I’s are therefore not theory or aspiration. They are a checklist for converting stability and market access into broad-based prosperity.
To invest means more than attracting headlines. It means building a reliable pipeline of bankable projects, with clear land access, utility connections, licensing timelines and investor aftercare that keeps companies expanding. In 2026, the test should be scale: how quickly an investor can add a new line, source locally and export more — without losing months to avoidable friction.

To Innovate is the quiet engine of competitiveness. Innovation is not only laboratories; it is also process improvement, digital trade documentation, energy efficiency, quality systems and modern management. When productivity rises, wages can rise with it. In 2026, innovation should be treated as a board-level priority, supported by skills partnerships that translate training into real industrial output.
To Industrialise is to deepen value chains so Oman exports value, not just volume. Industrialisation includes food processing and packaging, fabrication, advanced materials, industrial services and the maintenance ecosystems that keep plants running at high uptime. It also means local capability-building through standards and performance-based procurement. Done well, industrialisation creates stable jobs, strengthens SMEs and makes the economy more resilient.
To Integrate is to win on speed and standards. In modern trade, reliability is a competitive advantage. Integration means faster customs procedures, predictable enforcement and logistics that move goods with fewer delays. It also means integrating the private sector into policy design: the fastest way to remove friction is to listen to the firms that face it daily. In 2026, the benchmark should be simple: the location with faster and clearer processes wins the cargo — and the investment that follows it.
To Internationalise is to help Omani firms expand beyond the domestic market. Non-oil export performance has been improving and large markets offer scale. But internationalisation does not happen by hope. It requires export readiness: product standards, certification, trade finance, distribution partners and market intelligence. In 2026, support institutions should prioritise a clear pathway for capable firms to become consistent exporters, not occasional shippers.
Now to the Sixth I: to Implement. This is where 2026 will be won or lost. Implementation is the difference between a policy and a process; between announcing targets and hitting them. It should be measured through indicators that matter to businesses: time-to-license, time-to-connect utilities, time-to-clear cargo and time-to-resolve issues. What is measured can be managed; what is managed can be improved.
Implementation is also how CEPA becomes a tool rather than a headline. Firms need practical guidance on rules of origin, product classification, documentation and predictable administration. Digital systems must be designed for users. When exporting feels like an obstacle course, only the largest firms persist; when it feels like a routine transaction, SMEs join the growth story. In 2026, the most strategic investment may be a redesigned process as much as a new building.
The wider scenario remains mixed: global growth can soften, commodity markets can swing and competition for investment is intensifying. Yet reputable forecasts still point to steady growth for Oman in 2026, with non-oil activity expanding. The task is to convert that baseline into a better outcome: higher productivity, higher private investment and more good jobs for Omanis. Implementation is the lever that can lift performance without waiting for perfect global conditions.
The past teaches us a simple truth: nations do not transform by ambition alone. They transform by the repeated work of execution — day after day, contract after contract, shipment after shipment. If we keep the Five I’s as our compass and elevate the Sixth I — Implementation — as our advantage, 2026 can be remembered as the year Oman turned opportunity into outcomes. That is a vision the business community can invest in and that is the confidence our young people deserve.