MUSCAT – According to data released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), small enterprises experienced the highest growth rate at 14.3 percent, totalling 251,158 compared to 219,776 in the second quarter of 2024.

Medium-sized enterprises saw a modest increase of 0.1 percent, reaching 1,851, while large enterprises grew by 1.6 percent to 718. In contrast, the number of small businesses declined by 3.1 percent to 29,037, compared to 29,980 in the same period last year.

The data also revealed that the total added value of private establishments decreased by 0.8 percent during the second quarter, amounting to approximately OMR 8.147 billion, compared to RO 8.210 billion in Q2 2024.

Small enterprises contributed significantly to GDP, with a 3.8 percent increase in their added value, reaching RO 817 million, up from RO 787.5 million last year. Specifically, the added value of small enterprises rose by 3.6 percent to RO 673.2 million, while medium enterprises recorded a 1.2 percent increase to RO 625.9 million. Meanwhile, the added value of large enterprises declined by 2 percent to RO 6.031 billion.

Employment in private institutions grew by 1.2 percent to approximately 1,802,972 workers, compared to 1,781,643 in the second quarter of 2024. Small enterprises led job growth with a 3.9 percent increase, employing 696,622 workers, while medium-sized enterprises added 1.2 percent more employees to reach 152,827. Large enterprises also recorded a 1.7 percent rise, employing 433,912 workers. Conversely, the workforce in small businesses fell by 2.6 percent to 519,611.