Substantial improvement has been achieved in educational standards as well. Oil and gas production makes around 42 percent of national output, radically altering Oman s previous economic structure which in the late 1960s was dominated by agriculture and fishing. The hydrocarbons sector s financial domination is even greater as it contributes about 80 pecent of government revenues and accounts for 95 percent of domestic exports. As Oman is a small producer of oil by international standards it has been able to increase production without disturbuing world markets, while its non-membership of OPEC has meant the country has been free of quota obligations. Oman has however, supported Opec s pricing policy and has been active in attempting to get non-OPEC producers to cooperate with the organization.
Government has plans to further develop gas production based on large untapped gas reserves.
At the heart of this plan is a gas-liquefaction plant which will be built shortly at Sur, south of Muscat. The authorities hope that around this plant other gas-based indstries, such as lauminum smelting, fertilizers and petrochemicals, will emerge. The sector, however, employs about 20 percent of the indigenous labor force and in real terms, has been growing at an annual average of 7 percent. Oman s agricultural products include dates, limes, mangoes, alfalfas and vegetables with date production accounting fro about 45 percent of the cultivated area. The fishing industry has also been moderately succesful and is now a significant export earner in response to financial help to modernise boats and the building of fish processing plants.