Oman: Muscat airport traffic falls; Salalah sees modest growth
Muscat – The total number of passengers passing through Oman's airports from January to April this year reached 4,701,055, marking a 4.1% drop compared to the same period last year when the figure stood at 4,901,855.
Data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information showed that Muscat International Airport handled 4,222,789 passengers by the end of April, down 4.7% from 4,428,726 a year ago. Flights through Muscat also declined by 8.6% to 29,731, from 32,520 in the same period of 2024.
In contrast, Salalah Airport recorded a 6.8% increase in passenger numbers, reaching 458,394 by April, up from 429,181 last year. However, the total number of flights dipped slightly by 0.2% to 2,974.
Sohar Airport also saw sharp decline both in flight operations and the number of passengers reaching there by air. The number of flights in Suhar dropped by 62.5% to 72 from 192, while passenger numbers plummeted by 98.7% to just 307, compared to 23,842 last year.
Duqm Airport also reported a slight decrease. Flights fell 1.9% to 204, while passengers dropped 2.7% to 19,565, down from 20,106.
At Muscat International Airport, Indian nationals remained the largest group of travellers, with 182,628 passengers recorded till April this year. Omanis were the second most travellers with 101,087, followed by Pakistanis with 47,078 passengers.
© Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
Oman's GDP grows 4.7% during Q1, reaches $25bln
Muscat – Oman's gross domestic product (GDP) at current prices rose by 4.7% in the first quarter of 2025, reaching RO10.53bn compared to RO10.05bn in the same period last year, according to preliminary data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). The increase was primarily driven by non-oil activities, which grew 4.1% to RO7.13bn, up from RO6.85bn in the first quarter of 2024. Among non-oil sectors, agriculture and fishing recorded the highest growth at 11.1%, contributing RO326.6mn to the economy. Industrial activities increased by 2.8%, reaching RO1.97bn, while services rose 4.2% with a total contribution of RO4.84bn. Oil activities also contributed to the overall growth, rising by 6.8% to RO3.71bn, compared to RO3.47bn in the corresponding quarter last year. This increase came despite a 7.5% decline in crude oil activity, which dropped to RO2.74bn. Natural gas activity showed the strongest performance in the energy sector, growing by 89% year-on-year to reach RO970.8mn in added value. The figures reflect a continued shift towards economic diversification, with both traditional and emerging sectors contributing to Oman's economic performance in the first quarter of 2025. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
GCC inflation rate logs 1.7% in 2024
MUSCAT - The latest data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf (GCC-Stat) indicated that the average inflation rate in the GCC countries stood at 1.7 percent in 2024, compared to 2.2 percent in 2023. The data showed a noticeable variation in the rates of change across the main groups, with the housing group recording the highest increase at 5.7 percent, followed by restaurants and hotels and culture and entertainment, both at 1.8 percent. This was followed by education at 1.7 percent, food and beverages at 1.5 percent, and goods and services at 1.1 percent. Meanwhile, the health group recorded a slight decline of 0.2 percent, followed by clothing and footwear at 0.7 percent, communications at 1.0 percent, tobacco at 1.1 percent, and furniture at 1.6 percent, while the transport group registered the largest drop at 2.0 percent. According to recent data, price levels in the GCC experienced moderate fluctuations between 2020 and 2024. The region's inflation rate stood at 1.7 percent in 2020, rising to 2.4 percent in 2021 and reaching its peak at 3.1 percent in 2022. It then eased to 2.2 percent in 2023, continuing its downward trajectory to settle at 1.7 percent in 2024. These figures reflect the success of the economic policies adopted by GCC countries in containing inflationary pressures, particularly following the notable increase in 2022. They also indicate a state of relative stability in the region compared to the fluctuations seen in global markets. In 2024, the GCC inflation rate remained notably lower than that of several major trading partners, underscoring the region's economic resilience. Inflation stood at 4.4 percent in Brazil, 3.8 percent in India, 3.3 percent in the United Kingdom, 2.9 percent in the United States, and 2.7 percent in Japan. Meanwhile, the Republic of Korea and Germany reported rates of 2.3 percent, with France recording 2.0 percent. The inflation rate in both China and Italy was lower than the GCC rate, recording 0.2 percent and 1.0 percent, respectively, while the rate in the European Union stood at 2.6 percent.
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Zawya
Nepal promotes trade, investment and manpower cooperation with Oman
Muscat – Embassy of Nepal in Muscat hosted a trade, investment, employment and tourism promotion event last week aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation with Oman in key sectors including manpower, tourism and business. The event brought together Omani business leaders, company representatives and hypermarket executives to explore avenues for collaboration and investment. Addressing the gathering, H E Dornath Aryal, Ambassador of Nepal to Oman, reaffirmed his country's commitment to expanding manpower deployment to the sultanate. 'We are committed to increasing the number of Nepali workers in Oman and simplifying their recruitment process through digital systems, robust support services and policy reforms,' he said. He also encouraged Omani stakeholders to explore investment opportunities in Nepal, highlighting potential in hydropower, tourism and energy. Bishesh Kumar Sah, Second Secretary at the embassy, made a detailed presentation outlining key areas for Omani investment, including hydropower, agriculture and IT. He also showcased Nepali products with strong export potential and briefed attendees on simplified recruitment procedures. As part of its digital transformation strategy, the Embassy of Nepal launched an online portal for Institutional Demand Attestation in 2024. Since then, all attestation-related procedures have been conducted digitally, eliminating the need for manual submissions. Recruiters in Oman can now complete all documentation through the portal after selecting from among 1,400 registered recruiting agencies in Nepal. Embassy officials noted the fact that the digital shift has improved transparency and efficiency in the recruitment process. The embassy reiterated its intention to continue facilitating bilateral engagement, with a focus on promoting tourism, employment and trade cooperation between the two countries.
