Are limited charging stations impeding EV growth in Oman?

Electric vehicles are steadily gaining traction in the Sultanate of Oman, marking a significant shift in consumer behaviour and the country’s mobility landscape.
What was once considered a niche or experimental choice is now rapidly evolving into a mainstream alternative, driven by economic, environmental and policy factors.
Recent data shows strong growth in EV adoption, with registrations increasing sharply – from just a few hundred vehicles in 2021 to over 2,000 EVs by late 2025.
Earlier figures released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) also highlight a 300-per cent surge in EV numbers between 2023 and 2024, signalling how quickly interest is building across the country.
The major reasons behind such traction are considered to be lower fuel and maintenance costs, a quiet, smooth driving experience, and increasing environmental awareness.
While the government is actively rolling out infrastructure, the scarcity of chargers along inter-city highways and the concentration of existing units in major urban centres create range anxiety for prospective buyers.
A major challenge for the low rate of EV penetration, according to Abdulah al Khadouri, an EV user, is the geographic concentration of the public chargers in the city.
To ease some of the challenges, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT) has deployed 160 charging points across the country, with ongoing expansion efforts to increase the public charging network to over 350 stations by 2027.
'Additionally, the government uses a unified national platform called Shahin, which allows drivers to find and pay for charges across different private networks with a single login in order to streamline charging access.'
Private charger providers are also on a mission to expand the charging networks and the results are slowly visible over the past 2 to 3 years.
“Shell Oman has been playing a critical role in addressing this infrastructure gap, positioning itself as a key enabler of the EV transition, and a number of initiatives are currently ongoing towards accelerating EV infrastructure in the country,” says a Shell Oman spokesperson.
From the industrial perspective, Oman has been accelerating its electric mobility ambitions through expanding charging infrastructure, rising electric vehicle (EV) adoption and strategic investments in battery-related industries, reinforcing the country's broader goals of sustainability and economic diversification.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has plans to install EV charging stations at two prominent hotels in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar — Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort and Alila Jabal Akhdar, besides further expanding the network to 350 charging stations by 2027, supporting the country’s transition towards sustainable and low-emission transport.
The Muscat Municipality has also expanded the number of EV charging stations across the governorate, with new installations at several locations, including Al Khuwair Square and the Green Walkway in the Wilayat of Al Seeb.
The Sultanate of Oman currently has around 2,200 electric vehicles supported by 160 charging stations, including 49 in Muscat, 12 in Dhofar, 10 in North Al Batinah, 8 in Al Dakhiliyah, and 4 in Al Wusta.
Additionally, the key Shell Oman EV initiatives in Oman include a strategic partnership with Porsche Oman to expand EV charging across the country.
Shell Oman currently has 15 EV chargers across the Sultanate of Oman and has an expansion plan nationwide in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, which will ensure accessibility in urban centres, covering highways and travel routes, a customer-centric EV ecosystem focusing on providing reliable, scalable charging solutions, digital tools and subscription-based charging services.