What are the most effective policies for ensuring a Just Energy Transition in Oman?

The global energy transition presents profound challenges for rentier states dependent on hydrocarbon revenues. This thesis examines the policy frameworks supporting a Just Energy Transition (JET) in the Sultanate of Oman, an oil- and gas-reliant economy seeking to align its transformation with Vision 2040 and Net Zero 2050 commitments. While Oman’s technical and economic transition dimensions are increasingly studied, the socio-political and justice aspects remain underexplored. This research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist methodology, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 20 key stakeholders from government, regulatory agencies, energy firms, NGOs, and academia. The data were analysed thematically and interpreted through a combined theoretical lens integrating the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions and Just Energy Transition (JET) theory. Findings reveal broad consensus that Oman possesses substantial potential to emerge as a regional hub for renewable energy, particularly solar and green hydrogen, underpinned by strong political commitment to diversification. However, this ambition is constrained by critical challenges: technological dependence on imported systems, acute skills shortages among the local workforce, insufficient grid infrastructure, and perceptions of procedural injustice linked to limited public participation in policymaking. Stakeholders advocate for an integrated policy package prioritising human capital development through education and retraining, promoting local industrial capacity, strengthening social protection for displaced workers, and embedding participatory and inclusive governance mechanisms. The study’s novelty lies in its empirical application of the JET–MLP framework to a rentier context. It argues that a just energy transition in Oman transcends an energy “swap” and instead represents a broader socio-economic transformation, from a rent-based to a production-based model, requiring a renewed social contract grounded in inclusivity, techno-political sovereignty, and human capability.

Citation

Al-Hashmi, M. (2025). What are the most effective policies for ensuring a Just Energy Transition in Oman? [Unpublished doctoral thesis]. University of Chester.

Publisher

University of Chester

URI

https://chesterrep.openrepository.com/handle/10034/630058

Type

Thesis or dissertation

Language

en