Oman Vision 2040 puts people at the heart of development. In health, that means moving beyond the old idea that wellbeing equals more hospitals and more medicines. The vision is broader and more hopeful: help people live longer, healthier, happier lives at home, in schools, at work and in our neighbourhoods. That shift from treating illness to preventing it is also a practical investment story. Oman Vision 2040 invites private capital and raises in‑country value (ICV), creating space for clinics, tech firms, manufacturers and service operators to contribute. The timing is right. The National Centre for Statistics and Information estimates Oman’s population at about 5.32 million as of July 2025, a swift rise that will keep demand for services, products and skilled professionals growing.

Why focus on prevention? Because the numbers are compelling. Non‑communicable diseases diabetes, heart disease, cancer and chronic respiratory conditions account for roughly 80% of all deaths in Oman. The economic burden of these conditions is estimated near RO 1 billion every year funds that could be saved or redeployed if we catch problems earlier and manage chronic illness better. Diabetes alone affects about 17% of adults, or more than 400,000 people and many do not yet know they have it. Around two‑thirds of adults are overweight or obese, a risk that amplifies these conditions. Every rial invested upstream in exercise, smart nutrition, early screening and safer environments means fewer avoidable hospital visits later on.

Crucially, Oman is not starting from zero. Health spending has topped RO 1 billion a year, with recent budgets protecting essential services while maintaining fiscal discipline. Our digital foundation is a quiet strength: the Al Shifa electronic health record connects more than 200 facilities and supports a national e‑Health Record that links public and private care. The Shifa mobile app extends this to citizens and residents for appointments, results and basic teleconsults, lowering friction for innovators who want to plug in. Regulation is moving too. Updated telemedicine and digital‑health rules are phasing in with a grace period through early 2026, giving investors clarity on standards, data protection and liability.

Geography adds another advantage: wellness and recovery tourism. During Khareef Dhofar Season 2024, Dhofar Governorate welcomed about 1.048 million visitors between late June and late September, creating a ready market for preventive check‑ups, rehabilitation and medically supervised retreats that complement leisure travel. Salalah Airport is even piloting drive‑through check‑in during peak season to handle flow — a sign that infrastructure is adapting to seasonal surges. With sensible accreditation and clinical partnerships, Salalah and highland destinations such as Al Jabal Al Akhdhar can host integrated wellness and recovery centres for Oman and the wider GCC.

Manufacturing is the third pillar of the opportunity. Today, local medicines account for only a small share of purchases about 6% at end‑2024 so the country still relies heavily on imports. That is now changing. On February 3, 2025, the Ministry of Health signed advance‑purchase agreements with six Omani factories — Philex Pharmaceuticals, Menagene Pharmaceuticals, Opal BioPharma, Dhofar Pharma, Izz Pharma and Health Supplies Factory — to localise critical supplies from injectables and IV fluids to specialised therapies. Secure offtake gives producers confidence to invest in lines, quality systems, cold‑chain and skilled teams.

Oman’s health vision respects our traditions family, community and personal responsibility while using today’s tools to get better results. We are shifting from late intervention to early prevention; from more beds to smarter care; from importing most of what we use to making more of it at home. With a national digital backbone, trusted public institutions and destinations like Salalah and Al Jabal Al Akhdhar that are naturally suited to wellness and recovery, the building blocks are in place. Private investors can now scale prevention clinics, smart home-health services, rehabilitation networks and technology that helps patients manage conditions before they become emergencies. Local factories can supply essential medicines and medical consumables, supported by offtake commitments that give confidence to invest in quality systems, skills and cold-chain.

The next step is disciplined execution. Let us publish a clear Oman Health Investment Map, expand outcome-based contracts that pay for better screening and control of chronic disease; and keep digital connections open between public and private providers. Most importantly, let us finalise the offtake agreements already on the table and move quickly to commissioning so that new plants, clinics and wellness centres start creating jobs, building local know-how and opening export doors. If we do this with the same care and steadiness that have guided Oman’s progress for generations, we will deliver on Oman Vision 2040 promise: a healthier, happier nation and a stronger, more resilient economy for our children.

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