How fast is Oman’s EV market growing?
Oman’s electric vehicle market has grown at a striking pace. Registrations climbed from a few hundred in 2021 to more than 2,000 by late 2025. The National Centre for Statistics and Information recorded a 300 per cent increase in EV numbers between 2023 and 2024 alone.
Lower running costs are drawing buyers in. Reduced maintenance, quieter driving, and a clearer environmental case have all contributed to growing interest. Consequently, electric vehicles now occupy a meaningful share of Oman’s transport mix.
Where are drivers finding it hardest to charge?
The main practical barrier is charging access. Public chargers remain concentrated in urban centres. As a result, inter-city routes lack adequate coverage, and range anxiety continues to limit uptake among potential buyers.
Abdulah al Khadouri, an EV driver quoted by the Oman Observer, said the concentration of public chargers in cities is a major reason adoption remains limited. Therefore, expanding the network beyond Muscat and other major towns has become a priority for both government and industry.
What is the government doing to expand coverage?
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has deployed 160 charging points across the country. The ministry plans to increase that total to more than 350 by 2027. For context, the network stood at just 90 chargers in June 2023, including 48 in Muscat.
In addition, the ministry has promoted Shahin, a national platform that lets drivers locate and pay across different private charging networks through a single login. That single-access approach gives EV users a more practical way to manage charging away from home. However, the network still needs to grow before inter-city travel becomes straightforward for most drivers.
Which private operators are building out the network?
Shell Oman has opened 15 chargers across the Sultanate. The company is also working with the ministry on a wider expansion plan. Meanwhile, Shell Oman has partnered with Porsche Oman to extend charging coverage further.
Muscat Municipality has added charging sites at Al Khuwair Square and the Green Walkway in Seeb. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has plans for chargers at two prominent hotels in Al Jabal Al Akhdhar. Those sites sit along travel routes that matter for everyday use beyond the capital.
Does this infrastructure push match Oman’s wider energy goals?
Oman’s clean mobility drive connects directly to its national emissions reduction ambitions. Charging infrastructure has become one of the most visible signs of that transition in action. Consequently, investment decisions by both public bodies and private operators carry weight well beyond transport alone.
The pace of deployment since 2023 shows the direction of travel clearly. Government targets, municipal site additions, and operator partnerships are all pulling in the same direction. As a result, the network today looks very different from where it stood only two years ago, and the trajectory points toward continued expansion across the Sultanate.
