Muscat: According to figures revealed at the annual media meeting of the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Riyada), Her Excellency Halima bint Rashid Al Zar’ee, Chairperson of Riyada, revealed the authority’s policies, performance indicators, and programmes shaping Oman’s SME ecosystem, while also presenting a preliminary outlook of Riyada’s 2026 plan.
Her Excellency said the value of financing provided to SMEs reached RO 44.3 million through 514 loans, alongside crowdfunding support worth RO 19.2 million for 243 projects. In addition, 17,420 entrepreneurs benefited from incubators and early-stage financing facilities, while 104 projects received RO 16 million in funding through the Oman Future Fund.
She noted that SMEs continue to gain a stronger foothold in public and private sector supply chains. Around 23% of government procurement and tender contracts have been allocated to SMEs, while more than 20% of total spending in corporate supply chains now goes to smaller businesses. Annual SME revenues recorded at business centres stood at RO 2.1 million.
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Riyada’s data showed that 130,359 SMEs were registered with the authority by the end of December, with 58,388 enterprises obtaining entrepreneurship cards in the second half of 2025, and 25,986 active entrepreneurship cards currently in circulation. The sector employs 192,714 Omani nationals, reflecting a 9.8% growth rate in Omani employment within SMEs between 2022 and 2025. Over the same period, the number of SMEs grew by 24.1%.
The authority also highlighted market dynamics within the sector. About 22.7% of enterprises exited the market between 2022 and 2025, equivalent to 43,664 enterprises, while 294 businesses transitioned from small to medium enterprises, and 41 enterprises moved from medium to large scale.
Her Excellency further revealed that 137 enterprises have been incubated across Riyada-affiliated business centres, generating 231 job opportunities for Omani youth across various economic activities, with average revenues exceeding RO 3 million.
