MUSCAT – The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Riyada) said the number of new Entrepreneurship Cards issued during the first six months of the year reached 19,267, bringing the total number of institutions holding the card to 32,103.
The Entrepreneurship Card provides small and medium enterprise (SME) owners with access to a range of facilities and incentives offered by government and private sector entities, supporting business growth and development.
During the first half of 2026, Riyada continued implementing programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening Oman’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, supporting SME owners and enhancing services in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
The SME sector in Oman has recorded significant growth, with the total number of SMEs reaching around 267,535 by the end of 2025, according to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information. Of these, 136,459 enterprises were registered in the Riyada database, including 116,195 micro enterprises, 19,196 small enterprises and 1,068 medium enterprises.
The sector contributed approximately RO 9.2 billion to Oman’s gross domestic product, accounting for 21.8 percent of GDP.
Riyada also expanded its business incubation programmes by providing support environments for emerging projects and SMEs. During the first half of the year, the authority signed 132 new incubation contracts across various economic sectors and opened 16 incubators, contributing to the creation of 284 job opportunities.
The authority continued supporting specialised business centres in sectors including e-commerce, financial technology, creative industries, handicrafts, manufacturing, logistics and services linked to economic and special zones. The graduation rate from public and specialised entrepreneurship centres reached 14.5 percent during the same period.
Riyada also provided specialised consultations to help entrepreneurs improve their business performance, covering administrative, financial, legal, marketing and technical areas. The number of beneficiaries of these consultations reached 10,832 during the first half of 2026.
In addition, 6,113 entrepreneurs benefited from workshops focused on preparing economic feasibility studies, supporting business planning and investment decisions.
