Fitch: Oman Budget Signals Slower Debt Reduction, Increased Social Spending

Aerial photo of the Sultanate of Oman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Aerial photo of the Sultanate of Oman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Fitch: Oman Budget Signals Slower Debt Reduction, Increased Social Spending

Aerial photo of the Sultanate of Oman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Aerial photo of the Sultanate of Oman. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Fitch Ratings Agency reported on Tuesday that the Sultanate of Oman's budget for the current fiscal year signals that the authorities will continue repaying government debt. This helps bolster the state's resilience in the event of potential shocks.

However, Fitch noted that the trajectory of debt reduction in 2024 is expected to be tempered by an uptick in social spending.

“We now forecast the surplus to fall to 1.8% of GDP in 2024, from an estimated 3.3% in 2023, based on the budget data and our latest oil price assumptions. In our December sovereign data comparator, we had projected the surplus would remain broadly stable at 2.1% of GDP in 2024, from 2.2% in 2023,” said Fitch.

“The smaller surplus in 2024 will partly reflect a projected 1% drop in oil output, in line with the recent reduction of the country’s OPEC+ production quota, as well as a modest weakening in international oil prices, which will weigh on revenues.

The budget projects non-oil revenue growth to be driven by stronger economic activity, with no significant new revenue-raising measures being announced,” according to Fitch.

The overall effect on Oman’s credit metrics should be broadly in line with the assumptions we made when we upgraded the sovereign’s Long-Term Foreign-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to 'BB+' from 'BB', with a Stable Outlook, in September 2023.

The government plans to widen the social safety net, which will add about 1% of GDP to spending and was reflected in our assessments in September. Fuel subsidy costs will remain considerable, at about 0.7% of GDP in 2024, though we expect the government would scrap the subsidy should global energy prices fall.

The authorities also plan to keep public capex broadly stable in 2024.

“Overall, we expect spending to remain prudent, with key current expenditure items generally growing in line with nominal GDP.

The budget gives no indication of significant backtracking on recent fiscal consolidation measures, and we expect further modest progress on electricity price reform. Meanwhile, the public finances will benefit from slightly lower debt service costs in 2024 following liabilities management operations that the government has conducted since 2022.”

The government will use part of the surplus to continue debt repayment. Oman’s use of the revenue windfall from high oil prices to reduce debt and spread maturities was a driver of our decision to upgrade its ratings in September.

“However, we expect the pace of debt reduction to ease in 2024, with government debt/GDP falling to around 33% in 2024 from 36% in 2023. This will be driven not only by the smaller surplus, but also by the authorities’ plans to channel some of the surplus to Oman Future Fund to support economic development.”

The report concluded, "Economic diversification efforts will face significant hurdles and it will take time for us to assess their record. In the meantime, Oman’s public finances will remain vulnerable to global oil price shocks – albeit less than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.

External debt maturities remain significant at USD6 billion per year for the government and state-owned enterprises combined, although less burdensome than in recent years.”



IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
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IMF and Arab Monetary Fund Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA
The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki - SPA

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies (EME) to enhance cooperation between the two institutions.

The MoU was signed by IMF Managing Director Dr. Kristalina Georgieva and AMF Director General Dr. Fahad Alturki, SPA reported.

The agreement aims to strengthen coordination in economic and financial policy areas, including surveillance and lending activities, data and analytical exchange, capacity building, and the provision of technical assistance, in support of regional financial and economic stability.

Both sides affirmed that the MoU represents an important step toward deepening their strategic partnership and strengthening the regional financial safety net, serving member countries and enhancing their ability to address economic challenges.


Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
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Saudi Chambers Federation Announces First Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council

File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT
File photo of the Saudi flag/AAWSAT

The Federation of Saudi Chambers announced the formation of the first joint Saudi-Kuwaiti Business Council for its inaugural term (1447–1451 AH) and the election of Salman bin Hassan Al-Oqayel as its chairman.

Al-Oqayel said the council’s formation marks a pivotal milestone in economic relations between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, reflecting a practical approach to enabling the business sectors in both countries to capitalize on promising investment opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade and investment partnerships, SPA reported.

He noted that trade between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reached approximately SAR9.5 billion by the end of November 2025, including SAR8 billion in Saudi exports and SAR1.5 billion in Kuwaiti imports.


Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
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Leading Harvard Trade Economist Says Saudi Arabia Holds Key to Success in Fragmented Global Economy

Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).
Professor Pol Antràs speaks during a panel discussion at the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies (Asharq Al-Awsat).

Harvard University economics professor Pol Antràs said Saudi Arabia represents an exceptional model in the shifting global trade landscape, differing fundamentally from traditional emerging-market frameworks. He also stressed that globalization has not ended but has instead re-formed into what he describes as fragmented integration.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the AlUla Conference for Emerging Market Economies, Antràs said Saudi Arabia’s Vision-driven structural reforms position the Kingdom to benefit from the ongoing phase of fragmented integration, adding that the country’s strategic focus on logistics transformation and artificial intelligence constitutes a key engine for sustainable growth that extends beyond the volatility of global crises.

Antràs, the Robert G. Ory Professor of Economics at Harvard University, is one of the leading contemporary theorists of international trade. His research, which reshaped understanding of global value chains, focuses on how firms organize cross-border production and how regulation and technological change influence global trade flows and corporate decision-making.

He said conventional classifications of economies often obscure important structural differences, noting that the term emerging markets groups together countries with widely divergent industrial bases. Economies that depend heavily on manufacturing exports rely critically on market access and trade integration and therefore face stronger competitive pressures from Chinese exports that are increasingly shifting toward alternative markets.

Saudi Arabia, by contrast, exports extensively while facing limited direct competition from China in its primary export commodity, a situation that creates a strategic opportunity. The current environment allows the Kingdom to obtain imports from China at lower cost and access a broader range of goods that previously flowed largely toward the United States market.

Addressing how emerging economies should respond to dumping pressures and rising competition, Antràs said countries should minimize protectionist tendencies and instead position themselves as committed participants in the multilateral trading system, allowing foreign producers to access domestic markets while encouraging domestic firms to expand internationally.

He noted that although Chinese dumping presents concerns for countries with manufacturing sectors that compete directly with Chinese production, the risk is lower for Saudi Arabia because it does not maintain a large manufacturing base that overlaps directly with Chinese exports. Lower-cost imports could benefit Saudi consumers, while targeted policy tools such as credit programs, subsidies, and support for firms seeking to redesign and upgrade business models represent more effective responses than broad protectionist measures.

Globalization has not ended

Antràs said globalization continues but through more complex structures, with trade agreements increasingly negotiated through diverse arrangements rather than relying primarily on multilateral negotiations. Trade deals will continue to be concluded, but they are likely to become more complex, with uncertainty remaining a defining feature of the global trading environment.

Interest rates and artificial intelligence

According to Antràs, high global interest rates, combined with the additional risk premiums faced by emerging markets, are constraining investment, particularly in sectors that require export financing, capital expenditure, and continuous quality upgrading.

However, he noted that elevated interest rates partly reflect expectations of stronger long-term growth driven by artificial intelligence and broader technological transformation.

He also said if those growth expectations materialize, productivity gains could enable small and medium-sized enterprises to forecast demand more accurately and identify previously untapped markets, partially offsetting the negative effects of higher borrowing costs.

Employment concerns and the role of government

The Harvard professor warned that labor markets face a dual challenge stemming from intensified Chinese export competition and accelerating job automation driven by artificial intelligence, developments that could lead to significant disruptions, particularly among younger workers. He said governments must adopt proactive strategies requiring substantial fiscal resources to mitigate near-term labor-market shocks.

According to Antràs, productivity growth remains the central condition for success: if new technologies deliver the anticipated productivity gains, governments will gain the fiscal space needed to compensate affected groups and retrain the workforce, achieving a balance between addressing short-term disruptions and investing in long-term strategic gains.