Oman will focus on attracting residents and nationals living in the neighboring United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the Sultanate moves forward with plans to revamp its tourism sector.
“We are targeting key tourists in the UAE, particularly UAE residents and nationals who would want to explore further to neighboring countries,” Salem Adi Al-Mamari, the director-general of the Tourism Promotion department at Oman Ministry of Tourism told Zawya in an email interview.
“We are introducing a variety of packages… through (a) campaign, aimed at making it easy and convenient for tourists to take another mile and see what Oman has to offer,” he added.
Al-Mamari said details of the packages would be announced in the coming months. He said they will include direct flights from Sharjah to Muscat via Air Arabia, hotel accommodation in Muscat and travel insurance.
Late last month, the Sultanate announced the launch of a new partnership with UAE-based travel website, Holiday Factory, to promote the country’s tourism portfolio.
“Holiday Factory is a popular tour operator in the UAE and among the most visited travel websites which we have chosen to partner with. They provide a large access of offers to travelers seeking for fantastic deals and we believe they can best promote Oman as a destination of choice in our efforts to attract more visitors in the Sultanate,” Al-Mamari said.
Oman, like other countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, was badly hit by the economic downturn that followed the sharp fall in oil prices which started in 2014.
According to Al-Mamari, Oman recorded 3.3 million visitors in 2017, up 3.1 percent from the previous year.
Oman targets UAE expatriates, Emiratis in tourism revamp
Oman targets UAE expatriates, Emiratis in tourism revamp
Middle East war economic impact to depend on duration, damage, energy costs, IMF official says
- Katz: Prolonged increase in energy prices could unanchor inflation expectations
- IMF: 2026 global GDP outlook was solid, too early to judge war’s impact on growth
WASHINGTON: The Middle East war’s impact on the global economy will depend on its duration and damage to infrastructure and industries in the region, particularly whether energy price increases are short-lived or persistent, the International Monetary Fund’s number two official said on Tuesday.
IMF First Deputy Managing Director Dan Katz told the Milken Institute Future of Finance conference in Washington that if there is prolonged uncertainty from the conflict and a prolonged impact on energy prices, “I would expect central banks to be cautious and respond to the situation as it materializes.”
He said the conflict could be “very impactful on the global economy across a range of across a range of metrics, whether it’s inflation, growth and so on” but it was still early to have a firm conviction.
Prior to the US and Israeli air strikes on Iran and counterattacks across the region, the IMF had forecast solid global GDP growth of 3.3 percent in 2026, powering through tariff disruptions due in part to the continued AI investment boom and expectations of productivity gains.
Katz said that the economic impact from the Middle East conflict would be influenced by its duration and further geopolitical developments.
Earlier, the IMF said it was monitoring the conflict’s disruptions to trade and economic activity, surging energy prices and increased financial market volatility.
“The situation remains highly fluid and adds to an already uncertain global economic environment,” the Fund said in a statement issued from Washington. Katz said the IMF will look at the conflict’s direct impacts on the region, including damage to infrastructure, and disruptions to key sectors.
“Tourism is an important one. Air travel. Is there physical damage to infrastructure, production facilities, and the big industry in particular that everyone will be focused on is, of course, the energy industry,” he said.
Oil rose further on Tuesday as Iran vowed to attack ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude oil , the global benchmark, surged to $83 per barrel, up 15 percent from its level on Friday.
Katz said he expected central banks to “look through” a temporary rise in energy prices, given their focus on core inflation. But central banks could respond if a more persistent energy shock results in “a destabilizing of inflation expectations.”
He said the post-COVID inflation spike of 2022 was influenced by energy impacts from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with more pass-through from headline inflation to core inflation.
“And so I’m sure central banks, as they are thinking about how the geopolitical situation is translating into energy markets, will be looking at the lessons of the pandemic and seeing if they can apply any of those lessons in setting monetary policy,” Katz said.
