Overview
The World Bank’s Doing Business report, until its discontinuation in 2021, measured regulatory efficiency across ten areas: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency. Its successor, the Business Ready (B-READY) project, continues this benchmarking with updated methodology.
Oman’s Position
Oman’s best Doing Business ranking was 68th out of 190 economies in 2020. The Sultanate performed strongly in areas such as getting electricity (ranked 35th), registering property, and paying taxes. Weaker scores came in starting a business – where procedural steps and time requirements exceeded GCC averages – and in getting credit, reflecting limited credit information coverage and collateral frameworks.
Regional Comparison
The UAE and Saudi Arabia led the GCC, with the UAE reaching 16th globally by 2020 following aggressive regulatory reform. Bahrain also outperformed Oman. Saudi Arabia’s dramatic rise from 92nd to 62nd between 2018 and 2020 demonstrated what focused reform can achieve. Oman’s progress, while steady, was more incremental. Kuwait consistently ranked lowest among GCC states.
Trajectory
The Invest Easy platform and one-stop-shop reforms launched under Vision 2040 have streamlined business registration significantly since 2021. Oman’s commercial companies law reform, free zone expansion, and 100 percent foreign ownership allowances in most sectors represent structural improvements that would likely boost performance under the B-READY framework. Sustaining this reform pace is essential for investor confidence.