{"id":10055,"date":"2026-03-20T15:50:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/global-markets-war-fears-oil100\/"},"modified":"2026-03-20T20:11:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T16:11:41","slug":"global-markets-war-fears-oil100","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/global-markets-war-fears-oil100\/","title":{"rendered":"War Fears Keep Oil Near $100: What This Means for Global Investors and Businesses"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-pulse{0%,100%{box-shadow:0 0 14px #dc262688}50%{box-shadow:0 0 32px #dc2626,0 0 60px #dc262655}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-shimmer{0%,100%{opacity:0.3;transform:scaleX(0.4)}50%{opacity:1;transform:scaleX(1)}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-glow{0%,100%{opacity:0.6}50%{opacity:1}}\r\n@keyframes hitv3sog-badge{from{opacity:0;transform:scale(0.8)}to{opacity:1;transform:scale(1)}}\r\n<\/style><style>\r\n.hitv3sogw{container-type:inline-size;width:100%;max-width:970px;margin:0 auto;box-sizing:border-box}\r\n.hitv3soga{display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center;justify-content:space-between;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration:none;color:#fff;font-family:-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,system-ui,sans-serif;position:relative;overflow:hidden;cursor:pointer;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#111118 0%,#080808 100%);border:1.5px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border-radius:14px;gap:20px;padding:20px 40px;transition:border-color .2s}\r\n.hitv3soga:hover{border-color:#dc262688}\r\n.hitv3sogg1{position:absolute;inset:0;background:radial-gradient(ellipse at 50% 0%,rgba(220,38,38,0.35),transparent 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitv3sog-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OMAN OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogh\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Websites For <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Omani Businesses.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogs\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Empower your brand with custom digital solutions designed for high conversion and market dominance.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbl\"><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Responsive designs built for growth<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitv3sogbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Fast loading with smart automation<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitv3sogbtn\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Build Your Free Website <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitv3sogbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div>\n<p>Stocks declined and oil prices stabilized on Friday, concluding a volatile week marked by attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure that unsettled global markets and raised fears of an energy crisis.<\/p>\n<p>US President Donald Trump stated that Israeli forces would no longer target Tehran\u2019s energy infrastructure, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that an end to the conflict might be near.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome calm has returned to markets after a brutal week, but concerns remain high about how economies will cope with an inflation shock driven by soaring energy prices,\u201d said Susannah Streeter, chief investment strategist at Wealth Club.<\/p>\n<p>European stock markets edged lower around midday on Friday following significant losses on Thursday. Wall Street closed down on Thursday despite a late rally, and Asian markets ended the week in negative territory. The US dollar strengthened against major currencies on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Energy supply disruptions continued, with Kuwait reporting a fire at its Mina Al Ahmadi refinery, occurring just a day after Qatar\u2019s critical Ras Laffan facility was directly hit.<\/p>\n<p>Brent crude prices surged to $119 per barrel on Thursday after Tehran retaliated for Israel\u2019s strike on its South Pars field by targeting several Gulf energy sites. With the conflict ongoing, markets remain sensitive to global energy supply fears, as oil prices hover near $100 per barrel amid the effective closure of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>The European Central Bank (ECB) warned on Thursday that the current energy shock from the war would sharply increase inflation and negatively impact eurozone growth. Reflecting these economic concerns, the ECB, Bank of England, US Federal Reserve, and Bank of Japan all opted to hold interest rates steady this week.<\/p>\n<p>Following the Bank of England\u2019s caution about inflation risks, UK 10-year government bond yields surged to their highest level since the 2008 financial crisis.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Russia\u2019s central bank cut its key interest rate from 15.5% to 15% to support the slowing economy amid ongoing conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions. However, rising oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict have somewhat bolstered Russia\u2019s economic position.<\/p>\n<p>The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz\u2014a critical conduit for one-fifth of global oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) shipments\u2014remains a major factor driving energy prices.<\/p>\n<p>Market summary:<br \/>\n&#8211; Brent North Sea Crude: up 0.5% at $109.20 per barrel<br \/>\n&#8211; West Texas Intermediate: down 0.1% at $95.38 per barrel<br \/>\n&#8211; London FTSE 100: down 0.1% at 10,055.35 points<br \/>\n&#8211; Paris CAC 40: down 0.1% at 7,801.39 points<br \/>\n&#8211; Frankfurt DAX: down 0.3% at 22,771.33 points<br \/>\n&#8211; Hong Kong Hang Seng Index: down 0.9% at 25,277.32 (close)<br \/>\n&#8211; Shanghai Composite: down 1.2% at 3,957.05 (close)<br \/>\n&#8211; Tokyo Nikkei 225: closed for a holiday<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 AFP<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes 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solid rgba(255,255,255,0.18);backdrop-filter:blur(8px);-webkit-backdrop-filter:blur(8px);border-radius:20px;padding:3px 10px 3px 7px;margin-bottom:clamp(5px,0.6vw,9px);animation:hitl8gak-badge 0.5s ease both;\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:6px;height:6px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-size:clamp(8px,0.9vw,10px);font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.07em;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.88);text-transform:uppercase;white-space:nowrap;\">EXCLUSIVE OFFER<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakh\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.15s;\">Your Website <span style=\"color:#dc2626;\">Should Sell.<\/span><\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gaks\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-slideup 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0.3s;\">Custom-built websites with smart automation & AI-powered features.<\/div>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbl\"><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>SEO-optimized & lightning fast<\/span><\/div><div class=\"hitl8gakbi\"><span style=\"display:inline-block;width:5px;height:5px;border-radius:50%;background:#dc2626;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:7px;\"><\/span><span>Smart features built for your business<\/span><\/div><\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitl8gakct\">\r\n    <button class=\"hitl8gakbtn\" style=\"animation:hitl8gak-pulse 2.5s ease-in-out infinite;animation-delay:1s;\">Get Free Consultation <span style=\"opacity:.9;\">\u2192<\/span><\/button>\r\n    <div class=\"hitl8gakbr\">hit.land<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<p>Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman&#8217;s Market<\/p>\n<p>The ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions in Gulf energy infrastructure have <strong>kept oil prices elevated around $100 per barrel<\/strong>, creating both risks and opportunities for Oman&#8217;s energy-dependent economy. <strong>Businesses should brace for potential inflation-driven cost pressures but can capitalize on the strategic importance of Oman&#8217;s energy sector amid supply constraints and regional volatility.<\/strong> Smart investors and entrepreneurs must prioritize agility in energy markets and consider diversification to mitigate risks from fluctuating global energy dynamics.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stocks dipped and oil prices steadied after a turbulent week of attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure, sparking fears of an energy shock. Markets showed some calm but remain wary of inflation impacts and economic responses amid ongoing conflict and supply disruptions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":10056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[4023,224,575],"class_list":["post-10055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-energy-crisis","tag-oil","tag-stocks"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3327303.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10055"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10055\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10057,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10055\/revisions\/10057"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}