01Key Takeaways
- Oman imported $38.78 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 0.5% from $38.57 billion in 2022, essentially flat after several years of steady growth.
- Mineral fuels were Oman's largest import category at 23.9% of the total ($9.28 billion), even though the country ranks among the region's largest crude oil and natural gas exporters, covered in the companion export data for this country.
- The United Arab Emirates supplied 26.3% of imports ($10.21 billion), more than double the next-largest partner, followed by Saudi Arabia at 12.4% ($4.79 billion).
- Machinery and vehicles ranked second and third among import categories, at 9.3% ($3.62 billion) and 8.3% ($3.22 billion).
025-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $23.5B | $28.5B | $31.0B | $38.6B | $38.8B |
03Top Import Markets (2023)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | $10.2B | 26.3% |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | $4.8B | 12.4% |
| 3 | China | $2.8B | 7.3% |
| 4 | India | $2.8B | 7.2% |
| 5 | Qatar | $2.2B | 5.6% |
| 6 | Kuwait | $1.7B | 4.5% |
| 7 | United States | $1.4B | 3.5% |
| 8 | Japan | $1.3B | 3.3% |
| 9 | Brazil | $1.2B | 3.2% |
| 10 | Germany | $669.6M | 1.7% |
04Top Import Categories (2023)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $9.3B | 23.9% |
| 2 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $3.6B | 9.3% |
| 3 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $3.2B | 8.3% |
| 4 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $2.3B | 5.9% |
| 5 | Iron and Steel | $1.6B | 4.2% |
| 6 | Organic Chemicals | $1.5B | 3.8% |
| 7 | Ores, Slag and Ash | $1.5B | 3.7% |
| 8 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $1.4B | 3.6% |
| 9 | Plastics and Articles thereof | $990.8M | 2.6% |
| 10 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $915.7M | 2.4% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Growth Leveled Off After Years of Steady Increases
Oman imported $38.78 billion worth of goods in 2023, up 0.5% from $38.57 billion in 2022. That is a near-flat result after four straight years of growth. Imports climbed from $23.51 billion in 2019 to $28.51 billion in 2020, then to $30.99 billion in 2021 and $38.57 billion in 2022, before the total essentially plateaued in 2023. Five straight years of gains, followed by a year that barely moved, is its own kind of signal.
Unlike the export side of Oman's trade, which swings sharply with global oil prices, the import total moved in one direction for most of the past five years. Growth was strongest between 2021 and 2022, when the total jumped by roughly a quarter in a single year. The pace then cooled sharply. A country whose import bill keeps expanding every year eventually runs into a ceiling, whether that ceiling comes from domestic demand, currency limits, or simply a high base set the year before. For a market this size, a multi-year run of double-digit growth was never going to continue indefinitely, and 2023 looks like the year that run finally caught up with itself.
Mineral Fuels Top the Import List Despite Oman's Own Oil Wealth
Mineral fuels led every import category in 2023, worth $9.28 billion, or 23.9% of the total. That is a striking figure on its own. The U.S. Energy Information Administration describes Oman as the largest oil and natural gas producer in the Middle East that is not a member of OPEC. That status is covered in more depth in the companion export data for this country, where mineral fuels also rank first, at a far larger share of exports. A country can rank among the world's larger energy producers and still show sizeable fuel imports in the same broad customs category. That is not a contradiction. Crude petroleum, refined products, natural gas and specific fuel grades are all grouped under one heading in trade statistics. Those categories represent very different stages of the same industry, produced and consumed in different places for different purposes, and a single country can show large flows moving in both directions under the same broad label at once.
The rest of the import list points to a broad, diversified basket of manufactured goods. Machinery and mechanical appliances ranked second at 9.3% ($3.62 billion), and vehicles followed at 8.3% ($3.22 billion). Electrical machinery added 5.9% ($2.30 billion). Iron and steel contributed 4.2% ($1.63 billion), and organic chemicals brought in 3.8% ($1.48 billion). Ores, slag and ash added 3.7% ($1.45 billion), while iron and steel articles contributed 3.6% ($1.41 billion). Plastics closed in at 2.6% ($990.79 million), and precious stones, precious metals and related articles rounded out the top ten at 2.4% ($915.71 million). None of these categories comes close to fuel's share, but together they describe an economy still building out construction, transport and industrial capacity through imported equipment and materials. Machinery, vehicles and electrical goods alone cover close to a quarter of total import value, a mix that points toward ongoing infrastructure investment rather than a market simply restocking day-to-day consumer goods.
The United Arab Emirates Supplies a Quarter of Oman's Imports
The United Arab Emirates supplied 26.3% of Oman's imports in 2023, worth $10.21 billion, more than double what any other single partner shipped in. Saudi Arabia followed at 12.4% ($4.79 billion). Together, those two Gulf neighbors, plus China in third place at 7.3% ($2.83 billion), made up 46.0% of total import value. Just three countries, in other words, accounted for nearly half of everything Oman brought in during 2023.
India ranked fourth at 7.2% ($2.78 billion), just behind China, and Qatar added 5.6% ($2.16 billion). Kuwait contributed 4.5% ($1.74 billion), and the United States supplied 3.5% ($1.35 billion). Japan added 3.3% ($1.27 billion), and Brazil followed close behind at 3.2% ($1.22 billion). Germany closed out the top ten at 1.7% ($669.64 million).
The concentration at the top mirrors Oman's geography more than anything else. Immediate Gulf neighbors and major regional logistics hubs, the United Arab Emirates especially, dominate the list well ahead of more distant suppliers. That pattern is common for smaller Gulf economies, which often route a meaningful share of imported goods through nearby ports and free zones before final delivery, rather than importing everything directly from the country where it was made.
Taken together, Oman's import profile in 2023 looks steadier and more evenly spread than its export side. Growth has flattened after a multi-year run-up, fuel imports sit alongside massive fuel exports in the same broad category, and a handful of Gulf and Asian partners account for the bulk of what crosses the border.