Climate Change Overview

Country Summary

This page presents high-level information for Oman's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter).  Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Oman's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.

The Sultanate of Oman is located in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula, and the landscape ranges from rugged mountains to desert plains. The structure of economy in Oman has changed significantly over the years from efforts to diversify the economy away from a dependence on oil and gas. Over the 2000 – 2006 period, non-oil/gas industrial activities increased threefold as a share of GDP while oil and gas decreased by nearly half. Agriculture is a relatively small sector in the overall economy. GDP has experienced steady growth, roughly 4% per year over 2007 – 2017. Oman has a population of approximately 5.1 million (2020) people. Most of the population growth has taken place in urban areas along the Sea of Oman coast in the Muscat and the Al Batinah regions. Oman is vulnerable to the impact of climate change due to sea level rise, temperature, and precipitation variability/extremes, effecting urban infrastructure, population health, and its water resources, which is critical as Oman is a water-stressed country.