Overview
Physical infrastructure underpinning Oman’s healthcare sector spans transport networks, utilities, industrial zones, and specialised facilities. The government has committed significant capital to infrastructure development, with the national infrastructure pipeline valued at over USD 50 billion across all sectors. For healthcare specifically, infrastructure investment of OMR 1.8 billion annual public health expenditure targets capacity expansion, connectivity improvement, and modernisation of existing assets.
Key Indicators
| Infrastructure Element | Current Status | 2040 Plan |
|---|---|---|
| GDP Contribution | ~4% | 7%+ by 2040 |
| Health Facilities | 250+ | 400+ by 2040 |
| Omanisation Rate | ~62% | 75%+ by 2040 |
Analysis
Infrastructure quality and availability significantly determine the competitiveness of Oman’s healthcare sector. The Sultanate’s geographic advantages (3,165 km coastline, strategic location between Asia and Africa) are leveraged through purpose-built infrastructure. MOH, SQU Hospital, Diwan of Royal Court hospitals, Badr Al Samaa, Aster DM benefit from dedicated industrial zones, port access, and utility connections. However, infrastructure gaps persist in secondary cities and remote governorates, creating geographic disparities in sector development. The Oman Rail project (2,200 km) and road expansion programmes will enhance connectivity, while digital infrastructure (5G, fibre) enables technology-intensive operations.
Challenges
Infrastructure financing gaps, construction delays, maintenance backlogs, and geographic dispersion increase costs. Rising non-communicable disease burden (diabetes ~15 percent prevalence), specialist physician shortage, geographic access disparities in Al Wusta and Dhofar, limited private insurance uptake, and high pharmaceutical import dependency (~90 percent).
Opportunities
PPP models for infrastructure delivery, modular construction approaches, smart infrastructure integration, and cross-sector infrastructure sharing reduce costs and improve utilisation. Medical tourism from GCC and East Africa, pharmaceutical manufacturing (Oman Pharma City), digital health and telemedicine, genomics-driven personalised medicine, and PPP models for new hospitals.
Vision 2040 Targets
Increase healthcare GDP share to 7 percent; reduce pharmaceutical import dependency to 50 percent; train 5,000 Omani specialist physicians; achieve universal health insurance coverage; establish a regional genomics research centre.