Insurers set for payout as Oman floods kill 10

• 200 homes destroyed across country
• Insurers brace for possible $60m bill
• Schools and colleges closed

Flash floods have killed 10 people across Oman as heavy rains lashed the sultanate over the Eid holidays, damaging public infrastructure and private property, state-owned Oman TV reported. 

The ministry of commerce, industry and investment promotion estimated that insurance companies may face a bill of up to $60 million to cover the costs, the broadcaster said.

Two Indian nationals died in Al Batinah South governorate when floods trapped the vehicle in which they were travelling, according to a post on X.  

Elsewhere, rain flooded more than 200 homes and destroyed or damaged a number of electrical installations, schools, roads and businesses around the country, the Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority (CDAA) said.

“Shelters have been erected for people whose homes have been flooded and we are working with the National Committee for Emergency Management to assess the situation,” the CDAA said on its website.

The ministry of education closed schools and universities until Thursday while the manpower ministry recommended that company employees work remotely until the weekend.  

Omanis whose homes have been hit by the deluge urged the government to erect more flood protection systems.

“Oman needs to do more with flood protection,” said Harith Al Saadi, whose four-bedroom Muscat home was flooded. 

• Oman’s farmers demand dams to protect livelihoods
• Almost one year after floods, UAE insurance costs keep surging
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Last year, Oman borrowed $630 million from the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank to build flood protection gates and dams across the country, AGBI reported. 

In 2024, 17 people died in flash floods in Oman triggered by the heaviest rains on record, causing billions of dollars of damage and hitting the neighbouring UAE.

Oman, which lies outside the Arabian Gulf on the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, is prone to regular torrential rains, strong winds and heavy seas. In 2007, Cyclone Gonu killed 50 people in the sultanate and caused $4.2 billion in damage.