Oman: Inflation Fell by 1.4 Percent in November

A Omani man passes in front of an American fashion brand, American Eagle Outfitters in City Center Mall in Muscat, Oman, on February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
A Omani man passes in front of an American fashion brand, American Eagle Outfitters in City Center Mall in Muscat, Oman, on February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Oman: Inflation Fell by 1.4 Percent in November

A Omani man passes in front of an American fashion brand, American Eagle Outfitters in City Center Mall in Muscat, Oman, on February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
A Omani man passes in front of an American fashion brand, American Eagle Outfitters in City Center Mall in Muscat, Oman, on February 11, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Oman’s Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation fell by 1.46 percent in November compared to the same month of 2019, according to the latest data released by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

According to the report, the inflation rate in November fell by 0.09 percent compared to October.

The price of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels fell by 0.42 percent, clothing and footwear by 0.13 percent, furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance by 0.25 percent; transport by 5.88 percent, communication by 0.04 percent and restaurants and hotels by 0.25 percent.

Moreover, the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages fell by 0.78 percent.

However, health witnessed a price increase by 0.02 percent; recreation and culture by 0.52 percent and education by 0.08 percent.

In another context, the Sultanate’s average daily production of crude oil during November 2020 has recorded 720,789 barrels.

The daily November average oil production has slipped by 0.04 percent m-o-m compared with October 2020 daily average production, according to the monthly report published by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.

Additionally, the per day average exported quantities of Oman Blend crude oil recorded 777,207 barrels, and increased by 4.77 percent compared with last month.

The average price of Oman’s Crude Oil futures contract at the Dubai Mercantile Exchange similarly increased by 6.6 percent compared with the previous month.

The monthly official selling price for Oman Crude oil for January 2021 delivery – traded during November 2020 - was announced to be USD43.83 per barrel, and increased by USD2.72 compared with October 2020 official selling price.

Oman has created a new upstream oil and gas company, named Energy Development Oman (EDO). Its primary activities will be related to projects in PDO's prolific Block 6.



Egypt Cuts 2040 Renewable Energy Target to 40%, Keeps Focus on Natural Gas

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Karim Badawi speaks during a panel discussion as top energy executives and ministers meet in Houston for the annual Gastech conference in Houston, Texas, US, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo
Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Karim Badawi speaks during a panel discussion as top energy executives and ministers meet in Houston for the annual Gastech conference in Houston, Texas, US, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo
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Egypt Cuts 2040 Renewable Energy Target to 40%, Keeps Focus on Natural Gas

Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Karim Badawi speaks during a panel discussion as top energy executives and ministers meet in Houston for the annual Gastech conference in Houston, Texas, US, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo
Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources Karim Badawi speaks during a panel discussion as top energy executives and ministers meet in Houston for the annual Gastech conference in Houston, Texas, US, September 17, 2024. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo

Egypt has revised its renewable energy target for 2040 down to 40% from a previous goal of 58%, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said on Sunday, underscoring that natural gas will remain a key part of the country's energy mix for years.

Before hosting the COP27 climate summit in 2022, Egypt pledged to raise renewable energy production to 42% of its energy mix by 2035, later advancing that target to 2030. In June 2024, then-Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker announced an ambitious plan to raise this to 58% by 2040, a target now abandoned, Reuters reported.

"This is a message to all of us to work together to increase discoveries and attract more investments through the bids being offered for exploration, aiming to achieve new discoveries in the region, which holds more wealth, particularly natural gas," Badawi said in the opening session of the Mediterranean Energy Conference 2024.

Since taking office in July, Badawi has met numerous international energy companies, including Italy’s Eni, which plans to start drilling new wells in Egypt's largest gas field, Zohr, in early 2025 to boost production.

Zohr's gas production peaked at 3.2 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) in 2019, enabling the country to become a net exporter. But output declined to 1.9 bcf/d by early 2024, forcing Egypt to increase gas imports through a pipeline linking it with Israel as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments to avoid a load shedding scheme that went on for months.