DUBAI: Oman’s economy is set to receive a ‘much-needed’ boost from additional revenue due to the rise in prices of oil barrels, according to the country’s investment fund chief economist, Fabio Scacciavillani.
“The most difficult phase for the economy is coming to an end,” Scacciavillani told the Times of Oman.
OPEC agreed to a production cut late last year which allowed the prices to rise, prompting Oman’s crude oil cost to rise above $67 — a three-year high for the gulf nation.
“The prices of oil show that the most difficult phase for the economy is coming to an end. If prices remain at $65- $70 levels, the flow of resources in the public coffers will be strong and help the overall economy,” according to the chief economist.
This spike is expected to lessen the deficit as oil prices account for 71 percent of the country’s income. Oman’s recent budget set 2018 oil prices at an estimated $50, 25 percent below the current cost.
“I don’t see any reason why oil prices would decline now. The fundamentals are strong, and as global supply dips and demand increases, there is a synchronized rebound in the oil market. This is expected to stay,” Scacciavillani said.
Confident traders as well as strong global economic growth have driven up demand for oil, sustaining prices at above $60.
“The worst is over. The economy is in an upbeat mode. Brent has broken the psychological barrier of $70 and it doesn’t look like prices will go lower any time soon. I expect prices of oil to remain around $70-$75 at least for the next couple of months,” Mubeen Khan, a Muscat based CA and financial analyst, told the English-language daily.
Oman’s economy is ‘over the worst’, says leading economist
Oman’s economy is ‘over the worst’, says leading economist
Lebanese social entrepreneur Omar Itani recognized by Schwab Foundation
- FabricAID co-founder among 21 global recipients recognized for social innovation
DAVOS: Lebanon’s Omar Itani is one of 21 recipients of the Social Entrepreneurs and Innovators of the Year Award by the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Itani is the co-founder of social enterprise FabricAID, which aims to “eradicate symptoms of poverty” by collecting and sanitizing secondhand clothing before placing items in stores in “extremely marginalized areas,” he told Arab News on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
With prices ranging from $0.25 to $4, the goal is for people to have a “dignified shopping experience” at affordable prices, he added.
FabricAID operates a network of clothing collection bins across key locations in Lebanon and Jordan, allowing people to donate pre-loved items. The garments are cleaned and sorted before being sold through the organization’s stores, while items that cannot be resold due to damage or heavy wear are repurposed for other uses, including corporate merchandise.
Since its launch, FabricAID has sold more than 1 million items, reached 200,000 beneficiaries and is preparing to expand into the Egyptian market.
Amid uncertainty in the Middle East, Itani advised young entrepreneurs to reframe challenges as opportunities.
“In Lebanon and the Arab world, we complain a lot,” he said. Understandably so, as “there are a lot of issues” in the region, resulting in people feeling frustrated and wanting to move away. But, he added, “a good portion of the challenges” facing the Middle East are “great economic and commercial opportunities.”
Over the past year, social innovators raised a combined $970 million in funding and secured a further $89 million in non-cash contributions, according to the Schwab Foundation’s recent report, “Built to Last: Social Innovation in Transition.”
This is particularly significant in an environment of geopolitical uncertainty and at a time when 82 percent report being affected by shrinking resources, triggering delays in program rollout (70 percent) and disruptions to scaling plans (72 percent).
Francois Bonnici, director of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Executive Committee, said: “The next decade must move the models of social innovation decisively from the margins to the mainstream, transforming not only markets but mindsets.”
Award recipients take part in a structured three-year engagement with the Schwab Foundation, after which they join its global network as lifelong members. The program connects social entrepreneurs with international peers, collaborative initiatives, and capacity-building support aimed at strengthening and scaling their work.
