Oman to bolster its hotel supply with 700 new keys by end of 2026

Oman will strengthen its hospitality sector with 700 new keys by December, which will boost its total inventory to 40,800 keys in 2026. Following a slow period in H1, when 400 rooms were delivered – all in Q1 and Q2 recording no deliveries – Oman’s Khareef and winter travel seasons will be key drivers in the sector’s performance for the rest of the year, a report by Cavendish Maxwell, a real estate advisory and hospitality property consultancy, said.

The report attributed the reduced activity in the hospitality sector to regional travel disruptions that impacted international connectivity and tourism trade. Oman welcomed 992,000 guests at three- to five-star hotels in H1, down 13 percent on the same period last year. Airport passenger traffic declined 9.3 percent to 6.3 million, the report mentioned.

Khalil Al Zadjali, Head of Oman at Cavendish Maxwell, said, “Oman’s hospitality sector entered H2 in a challenging environment. While the outlook remains sensitive to prevailing travel conditions, the July to December period typically accounts for a significant share of tourism activity, contributing 52 percent in hotel revenue and guest volumes last year.

“The recent Khareef season – Salalah’s peak tourism period – coupled with the upcoming winter months will indicate how effectively seasonal demand supports the wider market following the H1 disruption, which was most pronounced in the second quarter. Government and tourism sector initiatives – such as international promotions and partnerships with airlines and travel trade partners – should also help strengthen demand.”

Three- to five-star hotels generated OMR124.2 million (US$322.7 million) in total revenue in H1, down around 12 percent against H1 2025. Revenue growth was strong at the beginning of the year, increasing nearly 27 percent year-on-year in January and almost nine percent in February, before declining from March. Following the sharpest contraction in April, when revenues fell 64.5 percent compared to the previous April, the pace of decline moderated in May and June, at around 28 percent and 15.5 percent respectively.

Room revenue was down 11 percent to OMR74 million (US$192 million), with other revenue declining by 13 percent to OMR50.2 million (US$130.4 million). The decline in ‘other’ revenue is partly because domestic and regional travellers typically spend less per stay than long-haul visitors, Cavendish Maxwell said.

Average room rates (ARR) followed a similar pattern, with a robust start to the year before weakening in Q2. ARR was up nearly 19 percent year-on-year in January at OMR58.3 (US$151.6), and more than 20 percent in February to almost OMR61 (US$158.4). March was on a par with March 2025.

The sharpest ARR decline (around 43 percent) came in April but, by May, it had partially recovered, increasing more than eight percent year-on-year to OMR43.7 (US$113.6) as Eid Al Adha boosted travel demand.

Occupancy rates across Oman averaged 46.3 percent in H1, down more than half compared to the same period last year. Again, performance was impressive in January and February, with occupancy around 70 percent, before dropping from March. The decline was most acute in Q2 as regional tensions weighed in on international travel and, while domestic visitors provided some support, it was not enough to compensate for the overall decline in visitors.

After a January year-on-year increase of 7.3 percent in guests, volumes declined monthly, reflecting air disruption across the Gulf. The steepest drop was in April (43 percent), but performance picked up again in May, when the decline narrowed to 2.6 percent as conditions normalised and Eid Al Adha supported travel demand.

Omani nationals represented the biggest source market in H1, with 396,000 guests accounting for almost 40 percent of all visitors – a rise of 3.1 percent on the same period last year. Europeans (247,000) took second place, at 25 percent, but their numbers were down 31 percent compared to last year. With 163,000 visitors, Asians made up 16 percent, with a marginal year-on-year increase of 0.6 percent.

Most other source markets saw lower year-on-year guest volumes, with the GCC down 17 percent, other Arab countries down 15 percent, the Americas down 22 percent, Africa 10 percent and Oceania 61 percent.

Hospitality sector employment among Omani citizens rose 3.4 percent in H1, while total employment in the industry declined 2.7 percent year-on-year. At the end of June, the sector had just under 10,500 employees.

After delivering 400 new rooms in H1 – all between January and March – Oman is set to bring another 700 to the market by December 2026. A further 1,500 are scheduled in 2027 and 1,600 in 2028, taking total Oman room inventory to 43,900 by end of 2028.

“Total room supply will reach 40,800 by the end of 2026 – less than the 41,400 previously anticipated because some projects have been rescheduled to next year. The upcoming, phased pipeline should help manage near-term supply growth, but the pace of visitor recovery will be key to the absorption of new capacity. With a limited number of keys coming in the near future, supply growth is unlikely to be a major constraint in the short term. However, the larger pipeline from next year and into 2028 will be more dependent on the recovery in visitor demand,” Khalil Al Zadjali added.

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