MUSCAT: By the end of May 2025, the Sultanate of Oman had registered 1,791,177 vehicles, adding nearly 37,300 units over the past 12 months, reshaping the country’s mobility map and revealing deeper signals about its economic momentum and urban future.
Private cars, unsurprisingly, remain king. With 1.42 million units, they make up 80 per cent of all registered vehicles, growing 5.3 per cent from May 2024. Behind the wheel? A generational blend of drivers: families upgrading to SUVs, young Omanis getting their first cars, and gig workers using rideshare platforms.
Commercial vehicles also saw a robust 6.5 per cent surge, reaching 263,963, reflecting renewed freight movement, SME logistics, and a pickup in post-pandemic industrial transport.
The rental car market — largely driven by tourism and short-term work contracts — grew a striking 14.9 per cent, confirming what Salalah airport arrivals and khareef festival bookings already suggest: Oman is back on the travel map.
Interestingly, the roads are not just more crowded — they’re more colourful.
White still tops the charts at 758,898 vehicles, but grey, black, and pearl finishes are gaining ground. In a standout statistic, purple vehicle registrations soared 18.6 per cent, perhaps echoing a growing consumer appetite for individuality on the road.
Orange, violet, and even pink vehicles — though small in number — recorded significant growth.
“This might sound cosmetic, but colour trends often parallel lifestyle shifts,” says an automotive industry expert. “We’re seeing more personalisation, more first-time buyers, and a shift from basic utility to lifestyle mobility.”
The bulk of Oman’s vehicles sit comfortably in the 1,500–3,000 cm³ engine category, with nearly 976,000 units registered. That makes them ideal for daily city driving, long-distance travel, and moderate fuel economy — fitting Oman’s sprawling geography.
Smaller-engine vehicles (<1,500 cm³) saw the fastest growth at 8.2 per cent, hinting at affordability trends, while large-engine cars (>4,500 cm³) climbed 4.2 per cent, remaining a staple of business fleets and prestige buyers.
Heavy transport is ticking upward too. Vehicles above 10 tonnes grew by 4.7 per cent, aligning with the uptick in construction, logistics, and trade projects. Still, over 1.6 million vehicles remain under the 3-tonne bracket, signalling the dominance of personal and light commercial use.
All of this sits within the broader framework of Oman Vision 2040, where transport, infrastructure, and sustainable urbanisation are not just goals — but enablers.
The challenge now is not just accommodating this growth, but managing it intelligently: with smart road planning, clean fuel policies, and investment in public transport alternatives.
At nearly 1.8 million vehicles and rising, Oman is fast approaching a new transportation frontier.
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