Q1 trade volume up
Pilgrim business booms
Transport efficiency rises
Oman and Saudi Arabia exchanged trade worth OR473 million ($1.2 billion) in the first quarter of 2025, up 22 percent year on year, thanks to the new desert road between the neighbouring countries.
The 725-km road starts from the town of Ibri in Oman’s Dhahira Region and ends in the Saudi town of Alkwifiriah near the Arabian Gulf.
The tarmac road, completed in February 2023, cuts right through the Empty Quarter desert and reduces travel between the two countries by 16 hours compared to the old road made of sand.
Oman exports metal products, minerals and electric equipment to Saudi Arabia while Saudi Arabia’s exports to Oman are building materials, pharmaceutical and dairy products, according to the National Center for Statistical Information (NSCI).
Transportation owners say the new road will continue to be a catalyst for stronger trade, despite the escalating geopolitical tensions in the region as a result of ongoing strikes between Iran and Israel.
“We have a business boom for our buses for pilgrims going for Haj and Umrah to Makkah in the last two years. Our income has gone up by more than four times after the opening of the new road,” Rashid Al Zaraai, owner of a passenger transportation business, told AGBI.
The same view is shared by owners of commercial transport vehicles.
“Because of the less time we spend on the road, our trucks are always full and we are hired almost everyday compared to just a few days a week before the construction of the new road,” Suleiman Al Shehhi, owner of Al Shehhi Transport Network, said.
