Muscat: More than 70 projects relating to food security, oil and gas-related services, manufacturing, mining, construction, research and development and conversion of waste material into usable resources have been made available to investors across Oman.
Listed on the ‘Invest in Oman’ portal of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion (MOCIIP), the programmes are spread across the length and breadth of the country and are aimed at attracting investment, pursuing economic diversification and expansion and creating more employment in the country.
The projects are distributed across various governorates, based on the natural resources available there, so that setting up the required infrastructure becomes easier.
Stressing the importance of creating a good business environment to encourage investors and get the above projects active at the earliest, Qais Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Investment Promotion, said at a recent press conference that “the main objective of the ministry, through its initiatives and programmes, is facilitating business environment, improving services, supporting the national industries, promoting Omani products, encouraging investment opportunities in a unified manner, enhancing export and strengthening partnerships with the private sector.”
For example, in the inner governorate of Al Dakhiliyah, where much of Oman’s agricultural activity takes place, a breakfast cereal manufacturing facility, a processing unit for poultry meat, a dairy and fruit juice production centre, a dates processing and packaging plant and a used oil refining unit have been planned.
To make sure that regional economies remain resilient, all the governorate have industrial and manufacturing units in their share.
Nizwa will be home to a prefab building plant, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) facility and centres that manufacture electrical sockets, switches and conductors, among others. As part of this planned expansion, also open to investors is the first phase of the residential city and Nizwa Industrial City.
Similarly, in Dhofar, where manufacturing facilities are already present, additional services that add more in-country value have been listed for investment.
These include a plastic manufacturing centre and a steel plant. With cement already being produced in Dhofar, plans have been drawn up for a production unit that makes paper bags to store building material.
In the Sharqiyah regions, which play a huge role in Oman’s maritime activity, a boat building yard is planned. With the city of Sohar acting as a key node for many industries engaged in aluminium and steel, and being in close proximity to port facilities, a number of allied projects have been planned for the North and South Batinah governorates.
These include small-scale steel fabrication and forging units, plants that make nuts, bolts and nails, a facility that produces wires, including barbed ones and an aluminium composite panel manufacturing centre.
In both the above regions, as well as Al Dhahirah, a number of industries related to minerals are being set up, such as a facility that will make ceramic tableware, a dolomite calcination unit and facilities that make quartz and calcium carbonate: Key ingredients in industrial processes. A bio-fertiliser factory and industrial bakery are also planned.
“The ministry’s ‘Invest in Oman’ platform is a unified platform for presenting investment opportunities available in the government and private sectors,” said Sajda Al Ghaithy, Director of Communications and Information at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
“Here, the information and data necessary for investment are presented, and we are able to answer investors’ inquiries. The platform has 72 opportunities that investors can view.”
A large number of projects have been allotted to Muscat, the capital. Among them are a food tech, training and development centre, a cardio-vascular hospital and projects related to oil and gas, electricity and infrastructure, including perforation explosives, rig spares, capacitor banks, chemical blends, electrical towers, measurement instruments, valves, intake filters, motors and transformer tanks.
Another key project coming up in the capital is the second phase of the residential section of Rusayl Industrial City. Projects have also been assigned to Al Wusta, which is a storehouse of mineral wealth and has easy access to global shipping lanes, thanks to the presence of the Port of Duqm there.
Manufacturing plants for sodium silicate, float glass and calcined lime are to be set up. With large fisheries also operating in Al Wusta, a plant that makes food products from fish is also planned.
Some key investment projects
Muscat
Heart-vascular hospital
Food tech training, testing and development centre
Phase 2 residential city at Rusayl Industrial City
Al Wusta
Float glass manufacture
Lime calcination
Value-added fish products
Dhofar
PET pre-form manufacture
Cement paper bag manufacture
Steel plant
Al Dakhiliyah
Dairy and fruit juice products
Breakfast cereal manufacture
Unit for poultry meat manufacture
North & South Batinah
Bio-fertiliser factory
Ceramic tableware
Industrial bakery
Al Dhahirah
Marble plant and quarry
Glazed ceramics plant
Al Buraimi
Small steel galvanising unit
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