Muscat (UNA/ONA) – The priority of the environment and natural resources in “Oman Vision 2040” seeks to create effective, balanced and resilient ecosystems to protect the environment and sustain its natural resources in support of the national economy.
The priority aims to achieve a balance between environmental, economic and social requirements and to work in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, in addition to providing high-quality and pollution-free environments, enhancing food and water security based on renewable resources and advanced technologies, and making optimal use of the strategic location and biodiversity of the Sultanate of Oman.
The importance of this priority lies in its direct connection to the axis of economy and development through ensuring the sustainability of natural resources. It also represents the main driver of emerging economies such as the green and circular economy, as well as its role in supporting the priorities of the human and society axis.
The priority targets three key indicators: the Oman Water Index, the percentage of renewable energy consumption out of total energy consumption, and the Environmental Performance Index.
The latest index, in its most recent reading, saw an improvement of 6 places compared to the results of the previous version in 2024, as the Sultanate of Oman ranked 49th globally out of 180 countries, after having been ranked 55th globally.
It also achieved advanced positions at the regional and Arab levels, obtaining third place at the level of Middle Eastern countries, second place in the Arab world, and second place among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
In the sub-indices of global environmental performance, the Sultanate of Oman ranked first in the sustainable management of solid waste, the clean domestic fuel index, the sulfur dioxide emissions trend index, the species habitats index, and open water trawling, and ranked ninth in the marine environment protection index.
In this index, the Sultanate of Oman seeks to be among the top 40 countries by 2030, and to reach the list of the top 20 countries in 2040, with an ambition that reflects its commitment to improving the environmental situation, preserving natural resources and protecting human beings.
This progress is the result of diligent national efforts made over the past years by the Environment Authority and related bodies and institutions, where a steering committee and technical teams were formed from the entities related to the index, in addition to a specialized team to provide support and ensure the quality and completeness of information and data, and to identify the initiatives and projects that must be implemented to ensure continued progress in the index.
The work was not limited to the national level, but extended to building international partnerships with the entities responsible for the index and the global institutions that issue the data and information approved in it. This communication contributed to following up on updates in the methodologies first-hand, verifying the published data, and addressing any gaps or observations that may affect the evaluation of the Sultanate of Oman.
This progress is the result of the national policies implemented by the Sultanate of Oman in the areas of climate action, sustainable management of natural resources, conservation of biodiversity, and improvement of air quality, in addition to the expansion of renewable energy projects, the promotion of the circular economy, and the application of initiatives that support environmental sustainability, in line with the objectives of the “Oman 2040” vision.
Among the most prominent efforts implemented to raise the performance of the Sultanate of Oman in the index is the expansion of air quality monitoring networks, as 70 stations were established in various regions of the Sultanate of Oman during the year 2025. The Sultanate of Oman also led the global trend to separate dust particles in air quality from industrial carbon dioxide particles when measuring air quality, thus distinguishing between the natural impact and the industrial impact, which was reflected positively on the results of the index, so that the Sultanate of Oman achieved first place globally in reducing sulfur dioxide emissions.
The Sultanate of Oman has also developed waste management and circular economy systems by focusing on resource management to ensure sustainability and create added value.
Among the most prominent initiatives are the launch of the second phase of the industrial waste treatment facility, identifying and measuring carbon dioxide sources in cooperation with relevant authorities, in addition to the reverse vending machine project that facilitated waste sorting operations and contributed to raising awareness of sustainable environmental practices, as well as building strategic partnerships with relevant authorities and industry leaders to produce recycled plastic materials.
In the circular economy sector, a waste-to-energy project is underway, processing approximately 3000 tons of municipal solid waste daily and generating between 75 and 100 megawatts of electricity. This will significantly reduce reliance on landfills by 2030, enhance resource efficiency, and support the transition to a more sustainable circular economy. Furthermore, it will contribute to strengthening the renewable energy system and reinforcing national goals for environmental sustainability and clean energy. This policy has led to significant progress in waste management, increasing recycling rates from approximately 11% to over 100%, achieving a 40% recycling rate for solid waste.
In the habitat and biodiversity sector, the Sultanate of Oman continues its efforts to propagate and release endangered species, as a number of them have been removed from the green and red lists to less threatened categories, in addition to implementing a national project to monitor and verify the numbers of species spread in various natural habitats in the Sultanate of Oman.
In the area of mitigating the effects of climate change, the Sultanate of Oman continues its path towards achieving net-zero neutrality by 2050, through several initiatives aimed at reducing emissions by 33 percent by 2050. Along with the launch of environmental legislation and the expansion of the digital transformation of environmental services, these are integrated efforts that have contributed to enhancing national environmental performance.
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