The Sultanate of Oman, which occupies an area of 309 500 km2, lies in the extreme southeast corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It shares borders with the Republic of Yemen to the southwest, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the west and the United Arab Emirates to the north and can lay claim to a number of small islands in the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, and in the Arabian Sea.

Oman’s long coastline stretches from the Arabian Sea and the entrance to the Indian Ocean at its south-western extremity, to the Sea of Oman and Musandam in the north, where it overlooks the Strait of Hormuz and the entrance to the Arabian Gulf.

The main economic activity of many coastal communities is fishing which provides an important supply of fish to local communities, urban areas and for the export markets. Oman is one of the largest fish producers in the region and a net exporter of fish and fish products.

Fisheries and agriculture are among the oldest and most important production sectors in the Omani economy. They play a vital part in feeding the population, providing employment for large numbers of Omanis and helping to boost the country’s GDP. Omani heritage and economy has been tied with fisheries sector going back to ancient times and fishing is considered as one of the country’s oldest occupations.