An additional $1bn (£640m) of oil revenues are to be spent on creating jobs for Omani citizens over the next 12 months, according to news agency Reuters.

Reuters reports a finance ministry spokesperson saying that the country expects “to comfortably balance the budget”, but did not elaborate on how the money would be invested.

The country’s oil revenues have surged 35% to $7.37bn over the past year.

Giving local nationals priority access to jobs is the focus across the Arabian Gulf region, in particular, as Recruiter noted in July, in Qatar, where foreign nationals significantly outnumber locals.