What happens to a country that uses nearly 195 million tonnes of materials a year, only to reuse 2 per cent of them?
This question became the framing lens for Oman’s first Circularity Gap Report, asking all of us to reconsider how we define progress. The number reveals more than just a statistic. It brings us face to face with the story we’ve been telling about how our economy works and invites us to write something new.
One of the most unexpected insights was that Oman recycles more than we tend to believe. At 27 per cent, our recycling rate is among the highest in the region. This is largely due to the construction and demolition sector, which has systems in place to recover and repurpose materials like concrete, gravel,and rubble. Some of this is used in low-value applications like backfilling, yet it still points to a level of structure that already exists and can be strengthened.
Even so, our material flows remain largely linear. Extract, use, discard continues to be the prevailing rhythm. Many still view circularity through the narrow lens of waste, rather than as a mindset that begins much earlier. A regenerative system takes shape in the way we think of how to use our land, design our homes, the durability of the products we use and the culture we create around repair, reuse and care.
Today, Oman’s material footprint stands at 15.3 tonnes per person. This is nearly double what the Earth can support. Carbon emissions follow a similar path, reaching 20 tonnes per capita. Less than 5 per cent of what we extract stays in the country. The rest moves across borders, carrying its environmental cost with it. As the numbers sank in, the discussion shifted. People began to ask why we rely so often on comparisons to define our direction. The Netherlands stands at around 24 per cent circularity. The global average is just above 6 per cent. Oman falls below both. But numbers alone cannot chart the future, the real question is how deeply we are willing to commit to a new way of thinking.
Others noticed something familiar in our response. When confronted with uncomfortable truths, we often rush to explain them away. The gap is already there. Our task is to understand it clearly, without defensiveness and then choose a path forward that feels true to where we are and where we hope to be.
Beyond the metrics, a human story began to unfold. Oman has more than 192,000 jobs tied to circular activity. Yet only 16.5 per cent of these are held by women. The transition we seek cannot just be technical. It must also be inclusive. It must reach across gender, geography and generations. An economy designed to endure must serve everyone it touches.
There is power in timing and Oman holds a rare window of opportunity. Our cities are still growing, our systems still forming. Many nations are struggling to dismantle what they've already built. We have the chance to shape our home and country’s foundations differently.
Circularity can become a core design principle from the start. When we need a guide, we can turn to nature. Nothing is wasted there. Every fallen leaf nourishes what follows. Every element supports something else. The circular economy is not a new idea but as old as the Earth itself.
Perhaps what we are looking at is not just a small beginning. Perhaps it is the root of something lasting. This reflection is not about where we fall short, but where we begin with clarity, imagination and the courage to design something better.
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
