Muscat – Close to 5,600 fire incidents were recorded in 2025, an increase of around 12% from the previous year, while ambulance services dealt with 19,000 cases, according to new National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) figures.

Residential properties accounted for the largest share of fires at 31%, followed by waste-related fires at 23% and incidents involving means of transport at 21%.

Agricultural fires accounted for 10%, commercial companies and establishments 6% and other incidents 9%.

Accident injuries made up 58% of the 19,000 ambulance cases recorded during the year, while medical conditions accounted for the remaining 42%.

The sultanate had 63 civil defence and ambulance centres in 2025, with each centre serving an average population of about 85,000, according to the NCSI report.

Separate figures on relief assistance showed a steep reduction in both the number of beneficiaries and the amount disbursed during the year.

A total of 682 cases benefited from relief assistance in 2025, compared to around 3,300 the previous year.

Spending on relief cases fell to RO444,275 from around RO1.8mn in 2024.

Al Wusta accounted for the largest share of both cases and funding. The governorate recorded 435 of the 682 relief cases nationwide, or nearly 64%, while receiving RO217,750 representing 49% of all relief funds disbursed in Oman during the year.

North Batinah received the second-highest amount at RO71,040 for 68 cases, followed by South Sharqiyah with RO41,020 for 37 cases.

Of all relief beneficiaries nationally, 486 were classified as individual cases and 196 as collective cases.