{"id":9828,"date":"2026-03-13T16:24:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:24:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/stocks-fall-oil-drops-conflict\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:13:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T18:13:35","slug":"stocks-fall-oil-drops-conflict","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/news\/economy\/stocks-fall-oil-drops-conflict\/","title":{"rendered":"Middle East Conflict Spurs Stocks and Oil Price Drop: What Investors and Business Owners in Oman Should Know"},"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% 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.hitv3sogbl{display:flex;align-self:center;text-align:left}\r\n  .hitv3sogbtn{width:100%;justify-content:center;padding:12px 20px}\r\n}\r\n\/* \u2500\u2500 Wide: >= 600px (leaderboard style) \u2500\u2500 *\/\r\n@container (min-width:600px){\r\n  .hitv3soga{min-height:90px}\r\n}\r\n<\/style><!-- HiT Land Banner \u2014 Container Query Responsive -->\r\n<div class=\"hitv3sogw\">\r\n<a class=\"hitv3soga\" href=\"https:\/\/hit.land\/services\/web-app-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-fadein 0.7s ease both;animation-delay:0s;\">\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogg1\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-glow 3s ease-in-out infinite;\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogg2\"><\/div>\r\n  <div class=\"hitv3soggl\" style=\"animation:hitv3sog-shimmer 3s ease-in-out infinite;\"><\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <div class=\"hitv3sogc\">\r\n    \r\n    <div style=\"display:inline-flex;align-self:flex-start;align-items:center;gap:6px;background:rgba(255,255,255,0.08);border:1px 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>Oil prices fell below $100 per barrel on Friday but remained significantly higher than levels seen before the Middle East conflict, which shows no signs of resolution. As the war approaches its third week, global equity markets mostly declined amid growing concerns over a prolonged crisis that could exacerbate inflation and damage the global economy.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets, emphasized that &#8220;fears of a burgeoning energy crisis remain front and centre for investors,&#8221; with inflationary worries intensifying as the situation persists.<\/p>\n<p>Before the conflict, major central banks were expected to reduce interest rates; however, they are now widely anticipated to either hold borrowing costs steady or increase them next week to curb inflationary pressures.<\/p>\n<p>Despite agreements among leading economies to release some of their strategic crude reserves, analysts suggest this measure does little to resolve supply disruptions. Iran has pledged to continue targeting oil facilities in the Middle East and to obstruct the critical Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n<p>In an effort to alleviate supply challenges, the US Treasury Department announced a temporary allowance for the sale of Russian oil already at sea. However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized this decision as &#8220;wrong,&#8221; arguing it could fund Moscow\u2019s military efforts against Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that easing sanctions on Russia, imposed in response to its invasion of Ukraine, is &#8220;in no way&#8221; justified. Meanwhile, Moscow has urged the United States to lift more sanctions on its oil exports, claiming this would help stabilize global energy markets.<\/p>\n<p>In currency markets, the US dollar maintained its gains against major currencies, supported by its safe-haven status and expectations that US interest rates will remain elevated longer than previously anticipated.<\/p>\n<p>AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould highlighted the significance of upcoming interest-rate meetings at the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and other central banks, describing them as occurring at a &#8220;delicate time.&#8221; He noted markets are closely monitoring whether policymakers view rising oil and gas prices as a temporary spike or a factor that could significantly influence inflation and interest rate outlooks.<\/p>\n<p>Key market figures at close:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Brent North Sea Crude: down 1.4% at $99.03 per barrel<br \/>\n&#8211; West Texas Intermediate: down 1.9% at $93.87 per barrel<br \/>\n&#8211; FTSE 100 (London): down 0.3% at 10,275.72 points<br \/>\n&#8211; CAC 40 (Paris): down 0.5% at 7,949.93<br \/>\n&#8211; DAX (Frankfurt): down 0.3% at 23,512.25<br \/>\n&#8211; Nikkei 225 (Tokyo): down 1.2% at 53,819.61<br \/>\n&#8211; Hang Seng Index (Hong Kong): down 1.0% at 25,465.60<br \/>\n&#8211; Shanghai Composite: down 0.8% at 4,095.45<br \/>\n&#8211; Dow Jones (New York): down 1.6% at 46,677.85  <\/p>\n<p>Currency exchange rates:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Euro\/dollar: down to $1.1464 from $1.1514<br \/>\n&#8211; Pound\/dollar: down to $1.3260 from $1.3346<br \/>\n&#8211; Dollar\/yen: up to 159.41 yen from 159.39 yen<br \/>\n&#8211; Euro\/pound: up to 86.44 pence from 86.27 pence  <\/p>\n<p>\u2014 AFP<\/p>\n<p><style>\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-fadein{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(14px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\r\n@keyframes hitl8gak-slideup{from{opacity:0;transform:translateY(20px)}to{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}}\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 Middle East conflict and resultant oil supply disruptions have kept prices elevated, <strong>posing inflationary risks for both local and global economies<\/strong>. For businesses in Oman, this signals both <strong>continued revenue potential in energy sectors<\/strong> and heightened operational costs, emphasizing the need for strategic cost management and diversification. Smart investors should monitor geopolitical developments closely, as <strong>energy market volatility could create bold opportunities in upstream oil ventures and alternative energy investments<\/strong> while also necessitating caution against inflation-driven market downturns.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oil dipped under $100 amid ongoing Mideast conflict, sparking inflation fears and market drops. Central banks may hold or raise rates. US allows temporary Russian oil sales, opposed by Germany and France. Dollar gains as investors eye inflation and rate signals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":9829,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[4023,329,328],"class_list":["post-9828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","tag-energy-crisis","tag-global-economy","tag-oil-prices"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/3321085.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9828","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=9828"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9830,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9828\/revisions\/9830"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omanet.om\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}