Oman has strengthened its position as one of the Gulf region’s leading countries in sustainability and development, achieving significant improvements across several international and regional rankings in 2026. Although there is no single “GCC Sustainability Index,” the country’s performance is measured through a range of recognized global benchmarks that assess environmental protection, sustainable development, industrial competitiveness, and quality of life.
One of Oman’s strongest achievements comes from the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), published by Yale and Columbia universities. The index evaluates 180 countries based on environmental health, climate action, ecosystem protection, and environmental vitality. Oman climbed six places from its previous ranking to secure the 49th position globally. This places the Sultanate second among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, behind only the United Arab Emirates, while also making it the second-highest-ranked country in the Arab world.
The improvement reflects a remarkable long-term trend. Oman has steadily advanced from 149th place in 2022 to 55th in 2024 and now to 49th in 2026, representing one of the fastest improvements recorded in the history of the index. The country’s progress has been supported by policies introduced under Oman Vision 2040, with a strong focus on improving air quality, protecting biodiversity, promoting a circular economy, and expanding renewable energy projects under the guidance of the Environment Authority. In comparison, Saudi Arabia ranked 108th in the same index, highlighting Oman’s strong environmental performance within the region.
Oman has also performed well in the 2026 Arab Region Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index, which measures progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals across 22 Arab League countries. The region recorded an average score of 60.6, indicating that many countries still face considerable challenges in meeting their sustainability targets. Oman is one of only seven Arab nations to score above this regional average. The report specifically recognizes the country for being on track to achieve its targets related to clean water and sanitation, although challenges remain across the region in areas such as gender equality, economic diversification, and clean energy deployment.
Additional data from the Statistical Centre for the GCC (GCC-Stat) further demonstrates Oman’s progress. The country ranked first in the Arab world in the 2023 Renewable Energy Regulation Index and secured fourth place in the 2024 Competitive Industrial Performance Index. These achievements are supported by the government’s 10th Five-Year Development Plan, which includes more than 430 strategic initiatives focused on sustainable economic growth, national zero-emission goals, the Green Hydrogen Strategy, and the Future Fund Oman.
Beyond environmental performance, Oman has also recorded improvements in technology and quality of life. The country climbed 16 positions in the International Digital Competitiveness Assessment between 2022 and 2025, earning the second-highest ranking within the GCC. In addition, Oman ranked fourth globally in Numbeo’s 2026 Quality of Life Index, receiving strong scores for safety, healthcare, and social stability. Together, these achievements reflect the country’s continued efforts to translate long-term policy planning into measurable progress across environmental, economic, and social development.
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