Oman inflation falls 5-month low in Jan

DUBAI: Oman's inflation slowed to a five-month low of 3.5 percent on an annual basis in January and fell slightly on the month helped by lower food costs, the Gulf country's government data showed on Sunday.

Analysts expected prices in the small non-OPEC oil producer, which was hit by public unrest, to edge higher on robust global food and commodity prices as well as additional government spending to defuse social tensions.

The sultanate's economy is seen expanding by 4.1 percent this year, after 6.0 percent growth in 2010, helped by the government's increased infrastructure spending.