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There is no single, universally recognised benchmark known as the "GCC Sustainability Index." Instead, sustainability performance across the Gulf is assessed through a range of globally recognised and regional indices, each evaluating different dimensions of sustainable development—from environmental performance and climate action to progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and broader measures of sustainable competitiveness.
Together, these indices provide the most comprehensive view of how GCC countries compare on sustainability. This article explores the key benchmarks and examines where Oman stands in each, based on the latest available data for 2026.
1. Environmental Performance Index (EPI) - Oman's strongest showing
The Environmental Performance Index, produced jointly by Yale and Columbia universities, is the most closely watched environmental ranking globally, scoring 180 countries across climate change, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.
In the 2026 edition, Oman climbed six places to rank 49th globally out of 177 countries, ranking second in the GCC and the Arab world. This puts Oman ahead of all other GCC states apart from the UAE, and represents a jump from 55th place in the 2024 edition. That 2024 figure itself followed a rise from 149th in 2022, one of the fastest climbs recorded in the index's history.
Regionally, Oman placed third among Middle East countries and second in both the Arab world and the GCC specifically. Globally, Estonia topped the 2026 rankings, followed by Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Finland, and the Netherlands.
Oman's rise is attributed to national policies on climate action, including biodiversity conservation, improved air quality, renewable energy expansion, and circular economy initiatives — implemented in line with Oman Vision 2040. Credit for the progress has been given to the Environment Authority working alongside other relevant government entities.
For context, the wider region still has ground to cover: Saudi Arabia currently ranks 108th on the same EPI, well short of its Vision 2030 aspiration of reaching 70th place — underlining how far ahead Oman's recent trajectory has been by comparison.
2. Arab Region SDG Index - one of only seven leaders
The Arab Region SDG Index and Dashboards, produced by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), tracks progress toward the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals across all 22 League of Arab States members.
The 2026 edition, launched in February at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, found the Arab region's overall SDG score at 60.6, moderate progress, but still short of two-thirds of the SDG targets. Out of 22 countries, only Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates surpassed that threshold — placing Oman among the region's seven strongest performers.
Persistent regional weak points that Oman, like its neighbours, continues to navigate include gender equality (SDG 5), which scores red across every country in the region, freshwater stress and clean energy deployment (SDGs 6 and 7), and unemployment and economic diversification challenges under SDG 8. On the positive side, Oman is among the countries on track to achieve SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), alongside Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others.
3. GCC-Stat sustainability benchmarking
The Statistical Centre for the GCC (GCC-Stat) periodically compiles Oman's standing across a range of sustainability-adjacent indices as part of its national progress reporting. Its most recent consolidated figures show Oman ranking first in the Arab world on the 2023 Renewable Energy Regulation Index, second on the 2024 Environmental Performance Index, and fourth on the 2024 Competitive Industrial Performance Index.
GCC-Stat frames this progress as part of Oman's alignment with Oman Vision 2040 and the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, delivered through the 10th Five-Year Development Plan's roughly 430 national strategic programmes, including initiatives such as "Zero Emission," the Green Hydrogen Strategy, Future Fund Oman, and the Social Protection Fund.
4. Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (GSCI)
The GSCI, published annually by SolAbility since 2012, takes a broader "sustainable competitiveness" lens, combining natural capital, resource efficiency, social capital, intellectual capital, economic sustainability, and governance across 192 countries. It draws on over 250 indicators from sources like the World Bank, UN, and WHO, and four national governments now use it officially for policy benchmarking. Scandinavian countries continue to dominate the top of the index, led by Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. Oman-specific GSCI rankings aren't consistently publicised in regional coverage the way EPI and SDG Index figures are, so it's a less commonly cited reference point for Oman specifically — but it's worth knowing it exists if a broader competitiveness angle is ever needed.
5. Adjacent indicators worth flagging
A few other 2026 rankings often get folded into "how sustainable/advanced is Oman" conversations, even though they're not sustainability indices in the strict sense:
Digital competitiveness: Oman advanced 16 places globally between 2022 and 2025 in the International Digital Competitiveness Assessment (IDCA), ranking second in the GCC behind only the UAE, though the same report notes that greenhouse gas emissions and energy-intensity penalties tied to hydrocarbons still weigh on the region's overall sustainability-linked scores.
Quality of life: Oman ranked fourth globally in the 2026 Quality of Life Index compiled by Numbeo and visualised by Visual Capitalist, reflecting strong performance on safety, healthcare, and social stability factors that overlap with, but aren't identical to, sustainability metrics.
Across the indices that matter most for Oman's sustainability story, the pattern is consistent: Oman is typically second in the GCC, behind the UAE, and among the top handful of performers in the Arab world. Its clearest and most-cited win is the 2026 EPI result - 49th globally, second in the GCC, capping a rapid climb from 149th just four years earlier. The Arab Region SDG Index tells a similar story: Oman is one of only seven Arab League states clearing the two-thirds SDG threshold. Both point to the same underlying driver, sustained policy investment tied to Oman Vision 2040, spanning renewable energy, biodiversity, water access, and circular economy programmes.
