Oman's plan to sell only zero-emission cars by 2050 represents a significant step towards sustainability in the region, and may even serve as a catalyst for other Gulf states to accelerate their net-zero initiatives, analysts have said.
The initiative also presents an opportunity for Oman, one of the smaller economies within the six-member GCC bloc, to tap into its resources and potentially attract overseas investment.
Oman's strategy appears to be the most ambitious in the GCC and Middle East. In comparison, the UAE is aiming for 50 per cent of cars on its roads to be electric vehicles by 2035, while Saudi Arabia aims for EVs to make up 30 per cent of vehicles in the capital Riyadh by 2030.
The Arab world's two largest economies have already made substantial investments in EV infrastructure. The Emirates has a well-developed EV charging network: Dubai alone had about 26,000 EVs on its roads at the end of last year, with more than 600 charging stations across Abu Dhabi and Dubai, according to the latest available data.
Saudi Arabia has also announced major projects in the sector. In October last year, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Saudi Electricity Company launched a new EV infrastructure company, which plans to set up 5,000 fast chargers across the kingdom by 2030. The company plans to establish a presence in more than 1,000 locations across Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the number of EVs in Oman rose to 1,500 in 2024 from 550 last year, with more than 350 charging points planned to be installed by 2027, from more than 200 this year, government data has shown.
“Oman will need to accelerate its infrastructure development and create stronger incentives to stay competitive in this space,” Kerry Watts, an automotive industry veteran and former senior executive at Goodyear, told The National.
Power options
One potential solution for Oman, as well as other Gulf countries, is to explore the utilisation of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are a crucial component and are currently the most commonly used in the EV industry. However, determining whether to source lithium from overseas or pursue domestic extraction along with overseeing the manufacturing of the final product, can pose substantial challenges.
“That's certainly one approach that they can take, but there's a lot of steps,” Mehdi Ali, a partner at Dubai-based advisory firm Woodcross Capital, told The National. “Oman can decide to go one of two ways: it can go to the very high end, go right at the source, or it can do a mix of the both.”
In June, Saudi Arabia was reported to be pursuing investments in lithium production in Latin America as part of its EV manufacturing drive. Globally, China is the leader in the processing of lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, with other nations trying to reduce their dependency on a single source for critical minerals.
One advantage Oman has is its proximity to Africa. If the sultanate forges strategic partnerships with key countries in the continent to source materials such as lithium, the move could significantly contribute to its goals, Mr Ali said. “Oman sits in a very, very good place to actually tap into that.”
Meanwhile, hydrogen is likely to play a crucial role in Oman's plans to move towards zero-emissions cars. The sultanate is strategically positioning itself as a leading producer of hydrogen, a move that could have significant implications, particularly for heavy-duty vehicles such as lorries. Using battery-electric power has limitations for this vehicle category.
“Integrating hydrogen infrastructure alongside electric charging networks would give Oman an edge in the energy transition for larger vehicles,” Mr Watts said.
How prepared is Oman?
Oman's plan, announced on Saturday, is part of a strategy unveiled by the government to achieve its energy transition plan in line with recent investments in the clean transport sector. Muscat aims to boost the share of renewable sources in its energy mix to 30 per cent by 2030, 70 per cent by 2040 and 100 per cent by 2050.
The sultanate's 100 per cent goal is at par with some of the world's biggest economies: Canada, the EU, Japan and the UK have all set targets for 100 per cent EVs within new car sales by 2035. The US, home to the world's biggest EV maker, Tesla, said EVs would account for 35 per cent to 56 per cent of new car sales by 2032.
To support and allow the transition to zero-emission cars, Oman could introduce initiatives such as subsidies or tax breaks for businesses and consumers to adopt EVs and hydrogen vehicles, similar to those in the US, Mr Watts said.
Oman last year announced tax exemptions on EVs and their spare parts, provided they meet certain criteria. These included the vehicle having a fully electric motor or hydrogen-powered engine and being registered in the sultanate as an electric car or a zero-emission vehicle.
Incentives for overseas EV makers to set up manufacturing or hydrogen production bases in Oman, coupled with regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation in the automotive and energy sectors, would also attract investment, he said.
“While the vision for zero-emission cars by 2050 is ambitious, Oman’s success will depend on how it navigates these complexities and keeps pace with its GCC neighbours, many of whom are already making significant progress in the zero-carbon transition,” Mr Watts added.
EVs can only be popular – and contribute to decarbonisation – if they are widely available and attractive to buyers, consultancy PwC said in a June report.
Their adoption will be more widespread “if there is a charging infrastructure to support them, if the costs of ownership are competitive and if the energy generation mix contains enough low-emission power so that EVs do not merely end up creating emissions at the energy-generation stage”, it said. “Creating these conditions is a policy challenge for all governments.”
Also, the shift to zero-emission vehicles would heavily rely on whether Oman imports them or develops local manufacturing capabilities – presenting both risks and opportunities for the automotive industry.
“Businesses currently serving the ICE [internal combustion engine] market will face disruption, but there’s a significant opportunity for Oman to build a domestic EV manufacturing sector, or at least become a hub for related industries like battery production, hydrogen technology or EV parts,” Mr Watts said.
Meanwhile, the GCC's overall technological and financial capabilities are expected to influence the speed of its transition to EVs, said Hani Abuagla, a senior market analyst at broker XTB Mena.
“The global energy transition presents both challenges and opportunities for Arab countries, with many adopting domestic energy transition plans to generate new export revenue,” he told The National. “As global energy transitions accelerate, pressure on GCC states to adapt will increase, potentially catalysing faster action across the region.”
Energy implications
The transition to EVs will shift demand from oil-based fuels to electricity, requiring major investment in renewable energy infrastructure, grid upgrades and the development of EV charging infrastructure, Mr Abuagla said.
Oman's focus on green hydrogen production, with a target of 1 million tonnes annually by 2030, is likely to create a new energy industry, he added.
“Overall, these changes represent a fundamental transformation of Oman's energy landscape, aligning with global sustainability trends while leveraging its existing energy expertise and infrastructure. As a result, the country could see strong growth in the energy sector and a boost in its economic output,” Mr Abuagla said.
The transformation of existing infrastructure would be a central challenge: not only will charging networks and hydrogen fuelling stations need to be developed, but this will require a co-ordinated phase-out of petrol and diesel facilities, Mr Watts added.
“Achieving this will depend on a detailed, long-term infrastructure strategy that ensures no disruption to mobility while gradually shifting towards new energy solutions.”
Still, internal combustion engine vehicles could remain on Oman's roads beyond 2050, if they are not proactively phased out.
“A structured plan will be required to gradually remove them from the market. Moreover, phasing out the support infrastructure for ICE vehicles, such as petrol stations and maintenance facilities, will be crucial to fully realise the zero-emissions goal,” Mr Watts said.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Squads
India: Kohli (c), Rahul, Shaw, Agarwal, Pujara, Rahane, Vihari, Pant (wk), Ashwin, Jadeja, Kuldeep, Shami, Umesh, Siraj, Thakur
West Indies: Holder (c), Ambris, Bishoo, Brathwaite, Chase, Dowrich (wk), Gabriel, Hamilton, Hetmyer, Hope, Lewis, Paul, Powell, Roach, Warrican, Joseph
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Match info
Manchester United 1
Fred (18')
Wolves 1
Moutinho (53')
Sunday's Super Four matches
Dubai, 3.30pm
India v Pakistan
Abu Dhabi, 3.30pm
Bangladesh v Afghanistan
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
The%20specs
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THE BIO:
Sabri Razouk, 74
Athlete and fitness trainer
Married, father of six
Favourite exercise: Bench press
Must-eat weekly meal: Steak with beans, carrots, broccoli, crust and corn
Power drink: A glass of yoghurt
Role model: Any good man
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Bert van Marwijk factfile
Born: May 19 1952
Place of birth: Deventer, Netherlands
Playing position: Midfielder
Teams managed:
1998-2000 Fortuna Sittard
2000-2004 Feyenoord
2004-2006 Borussia Dortmund
2007-2008 Feyenoord
2008-2012 Netherlands
2013-2014 Hamburg
2015-2017 Saudi Arabia
2018 Australia
Major honours (manager):
2001/02 Uefa Cup, Feyenoord
2007/08 KNVB Cup, Feyenoord
World Cup runner-up, Netherlands
Fixtures
50-over match
UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am
Champion County match
MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am
Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.
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Fight card
- Aliu Bamidele Lasisi (Nigeria) beat Artid Vamrungauea (Thailand) POINTS
- Julaidah Abdulfatah (Saudi Arabia) beat Martin Kabrhel (Czech Rep) POINTS
- Kem Ljungquist (Denmark) beat Mourad Omar (Egypt) TKO
- Michael Lawal (UK) beat Tamas Kozma (Hungary) KO
- Zuhayr Al Qahtani (Saudi Arabia) beat Mohammed Mahmoud (UK) POINTS
- Darren Surtees (UK) beat Kane Baker (UK) KO
- Chris Eubank Jr (UK) beat JJ McDonagh (Ireland) TKO
- Callum Smith (UK) beat George Groves (UK) KO
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
