As a result, the CNCA is examining ways to put these special arrangements into general use throughout the country. Oman Women's access to credit services remains low compared to men's. Since the establishment of the Oman Bank for Agriculture and Fisheries in 1981, only IS loans to date have been granted to women. Only a small number of women receive loans from the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan. The First Women's Bank was established in 1989 by the Government in order to cater to women's needs by providing small loans on low collateral, and the majority of the bank's employees are women.
Efforts are currently underway to encourage rural women to apply for credit.
ABS also provides credit for special projects in some regions the country. In the El Nuhud Cooperative Credit project, ABS and the Agricultural Extension and Cooperative Department extended credit to women farmers in agricultural societies for sesame, groundnut and gum arabic production. The Livestock Bank, established in 1993, extends credit for dairy, poultry and fishery production. There is no gender-disaggregated data regarding loans from agricultural banks. Very few women have access to credit.