Oil, LNG & Petchem Products Account for Bulk of Oman’s Exports to China

Oman’s trade with China reached RO9.6 billion (US$24.97 billion) in 2025, with the sultanate recording a trade surplus of RO5.7 billion (US$14.82 billion), as business leaders expect His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik’s state visit to China to open new opportunities for investment, industrial cooperation and technology transfer.

The Royal visit came as the two countries seek to build on their strong commercial relationship and expand cooperation across sectors that can support Oman’s economic diversification and create new opportunities for the private sector.

Trade momentum has continued in 2026. Preliminary National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) figures of bilateral trade show that in the first seven months of this year, Omani exports were about RO3.9 billion (US$10.14 billion) and imports approximately RO1.4 billion (US$3.64 billion).

China remains Oman’s largest trading partner, while Oman ranks as China’s fourth-largest trading partner among Arab countries. The economic relationship is supported by a framework of agreements and memoranda of understanding that provides a foundation for joint cooperation and expanded partnership opportunities across a wide range of sectors.

In recent years, China has emerged as a key partner in Oman’s efforts to strengthen trade, attract investment and develop its industrial and energy sectors. The relationship offers opportunities to diversify economic cooperation, attract quality investment and build a more sustainable partnership that extends beyond traditional trade.

Economic and investment forums, trade delegations and joint meetings have further strengthened engagement between the two countries, while creating opportunities for the private sector to develop new commercial partnerships.

Crude oil, liquefied natural gas and selected petroleum, petrochemical and chemical products account for the bulk of Oman’s exports to China. Omani imports from China include machinery, equipment, electrical appliances, batteries, iron and steel products, construction materials, solar cells, technology products, textiles, vehicles and components.

Investment continues to grow

Investment is also gaining momentum, with Chinese capital playing an increasingly important role in Oman’s economic development.

Direct Chinese investment in Oman increased from RO798.1 million (US$2.075 billion) in 2024 to RO903.8 million (US$2.35 billion) by the end of the second quarter of 2026. The number of enterprises with Chinese investment stood at approximately eight in 2025.

In a statement to Oman News Agency, Faisal Abdullah Al Rowas, Chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), said China ranks fourth among the five largest investing countries in Oman by foreign direct investment (FDI) stock and second among the countries from which Oman imports.

He said the state visit of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to China opens important horizons for elevating bilateral relations to a broader economic partnership, building on the two countries’ deep-rooted historical ties and mutual interests.

Al Rowas identified significant opportunities for cooperation in manufacturing and advanced industries, renewable energy and green technologies, information technology and artificial intelligence, transport and logistics, food security and agricultural technologies, as well as smart cities and infrastructure.

“These fields offer scope to expand investment, exchange expertise and leverage the capabilities of both countries, supporting the diversification of economic cooperation and delivering added value to the private sector,” he added.

In a statement to Oman News Agency, Lujaina Mohsin Haider Darwish, Honorary President of the Oman-China Friendship Association, said the Royal visit was an important opportunity to build on the strength of bilateral relations and elevate them to broader levels of cooperation and partnership.

She said the coming phase offers considerable scope for developing quality, long-term partnerships based on mutual investment, knowledge and technology transfer, the exchange of expertise and the effective use of both countries’ economic strengths to advance sustainable development.

Lujaina said she hoped the visit would provide further momentum to Chinese investment in Oman and help attract quality, sustainable projects that draw on the sultanate’s strategic location and investment potential. Such partnerships, she added, could support economic diversification while delivering added value to both countries.