Muscat: State public revenues rose by 16 per cent by the end of the third quarter of 2026, recording approximately RO 9,828 million, compared with about RO 8,481 million during the same period last year. This increase is mainly attributable to higher oil and non-oil revenues.
The Financial Performance Bulletin issued by the Ministry of Finance indicated that public spending amounted to about RO 9,738 million by the end of the third quarter of 2026, an increase of RO 824 million, or 9 percent, over spending of about RO 8,914 million in the corresponding period of 2025. The rise resulted from higher spending across all expenditure items compared with the same period last year.
The State General Budget recorded a financial surplus of about RO 90 million by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
The bulletin explained that net oil revenues rose by 7 percent by the end of the third quarter of 2026, registering about RO 5,046 million, compared with RO 4,710 million collected by the end of the third quarter of 2025. The average realized oil price stood at USD 81 per barrel, and average oil production reached 1,102,000 barrels per day. Net gas revenues rose by 61 percent, recording about RO 2,088 million, compared with RO 1,296 million in the same period of 2025.
The bulletin showed that current revenues collected by the end of the third quarter of 2026 rose by 7 percent to RO 2,614 million, compared with RO 2,449 million collected in the same period of 2025.
On the expenditure side, current expenditures increased by about RO 394 million to RO 6,621 million, compared with RO 6,227 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025.
Development expenditures for ministries, civil units and economic transformation projects reached about RO 1,224 million by the end of the third quarter of 2026. The disbursement rate stood at about 94 per cent of total development expenditures allocated for 2026, which amount to RO 1.3 billion.
Total contributions and other expenditures recorded RO 1,723 million by the end of the third quarter of the current year, up by about RO 139 million, or 9 percent, compared with RO 1,584 million in the same period of 2025.
Support for the Social Protection System, the electricity sector and petroleum products amounted to about RO 486 million, RO 441 million and RO 280 million respectively by the end of the third quarter of 2026. Transfers to the debt repayment allocation reached about RO 225 million.
Expenditures under settlement amounted to about RO 170 million by the end of the third quarter of 2026.
Payments to the private sector received through the financial system with completed documentary cycles exceeded RO 1,434 million by the end of the third quarter of 2026. This reflects the Ministry of Finance's commitment to settling private sector dues with completed documentary cycles within an average of five working days.
The bulletin noted that public debt stood at RO 14.1 billion by the end of the third quarter of 2026, compared with RO 14.7 billion by the end of the same period in 2025, a decrease of more than RO 600 million. -ONA
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