Oman economy seen growing by around 5 pct in 2012 - c.bank head | Reuters

Oman's economy is expected to grow by 5 percent this year, while inflation in the small Gulf Arab oil exporter should reach 3 percent in 2012, Central Bank Executive President Hamood Sangour al-Zadjali said on Tuesday.

Asked if he was concerned about the impact of rising global food prices on domestic inflation, Zadjali said: "No, at the moment inflation is under control. We expect a rate of about 3 percent for this year."

Zadjali, who was speaking on the sidelines of a financial conference in the Qatari capital, also said he believed the International Monetary Fund's estimate for Oman's unemployment rate of 24.4 percent was too high.

"I'm not sure of the actual number, but it's lower than what the IMF said," he said.END

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