Muscat: The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad) issued 247 licenses for economic activities in the first half of this year, in parallel with the economic activity and increasing interest in investment in the region.

During the first half of this year, there was growth in several investment indicators related to the services provided by the Zone to investors. A total of 355 licenses were issued in the field of public services, along with 68 commercial registrations, 55 building permits, 87 environmental licenses, and over 900 work and investor permits.

Khalid Al Khusaibi, Head of the Registration and Licensing Department at the One-Stop Shop, stated that the Sezad is working to facilitate investment procedures and assist investors in starting their investment activities, overcoming the challenges they face. He explained that the adoption of electronic transformation in various services provided by the Zone to investors has contributed to an increase in investment volume and facilitated the conduct of economic activities.

He added that we pay great attention to investors, and we have a specialised team that follows the investor's journey and provides the necessary support at any stage of the process. He pointed out that investing in the Sezad has now become easier than ever through the electronic services portal and OMAP platform, which allows investors to specify their economic activity, select the land they wish to invest in, and pay the required fees electronically.

He clarified that small and medium-sized (SMEs) enterprises holding a Riyada card receive a 50 per cent discount on the service fees provided by the management of the Zone to encourage them to invest. He pointed out that the relative and competitive advantages enjoyed by the Sezad have encouraged investors from the Sultanate of Oman and abroad to invest in it. In this regard, he noted that the strategic location of the Zone on the Arabian Sea, overlooking the Indian Ocean, gives it an additional advantage due to its proximity to international shipping lanes and the availability of the necessary infrastructure for investment growth, such as Port of Duqm, the multi-purpose fishing port, Duqm Airport and many other facilities.

The Sezad is one of the main investment areas overseen by the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (Opaz), and it is characterised by the diversity of economic activities available for investment, ranging from light industrial projects and services provided by SMEs to medium-sized industries, tourism investment, real estate development and finally to renewable energy projects, green industries and green hydrogen production.

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