Oman working to broaden economy with push in tourism sector

As is the case with most of the states in the Gulf region, Oman is actively working to broaden the base of its economy and to provide employment opportunities to its expanding local workforce. One sector that has been identified as having great potential is that of tourism, an industry that Oman is particularly well positioned to foster. Slow out of the blocks In some ways, Oman has been slow out of the blocks in the race to promote itself as a holiday destination, with a separate Ministry of Tourism only established in 2004. That said, the Sultanate already had in place a sound tourism infrastructure and has fast become a serious rival to other Gulf states, such as the UAE, that have also seen tourism as a viable option for their economies. Market analysts are predicting the Omani economy to expand by 5.9% in 2007, following 5% growth last