Oman Minerals Trading gears up for launch

MUSCAT, JUNE 7
Ahead of the planned operationalisation of its centralised trading platform, Oman Minerals Trading Company’s (OMTC) newly appointed Chairman has affirmed that the state-owned commercial entity will specialise in the marketing and export of gypsum and chromite ores.
Hussain Ali al Lawati, who recently announced his appointment as head of OMTC’s Board, said in a post over the weekend that the company’s principal mandate is to boost the global reach of Omani mineral exports.
“Oman Minerals Trading Company will become the sole entity authorised to export gypsum and chromite ores from the Sultanate of Oman. This step aligns with broader efforts to enhance the efficiency of the mining sector’s value chain and strengthen the presence of Omani mineral resources in global markets,” Al Lawati stated.
Established pursuant to Ministerial Decision 18/2025, issued by Eng Salim Nasser al Aufi, Minister of Energy and Minerals, in May 2025, OMTC will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Minerals Development Oman (MDO) – the Sultanate’s mining sector investment flagship owned by the Oman Investment Authority (OIA).
The ministerial decision also introduces a new regulatory framework to tighten oversight of Oman’s gypsum and chromite ore exports, prioritising domestic demand and imposing stricter quality and approval requirements, including a minimum 36% chromium content for exported chromite ore. The measures aim to strengthen pricing transparency, improve marketing discipline, and enhance Oman’s bargaining power in global mineral markets.
To address long-standing structural inefficiencies such as intermediaries and fragmented marketing, OMTC’s primary mandate is to centralise mineral exports and standardise international contracting. The reforms are expected to improve pricing, increase national revenues, boost in-country value, and stimulate downstream industries, SMEs, and job creation, while reinforcing integrated value-chain development under the Ministry’s “Majd” initiative.
Significantly, the imminent official go-live of Oman Minerals Trading Company’s trading platform marks the culmination of a one-year transition period announced by the Ministry last June. It was introduced to allow companies to complete existing contracts, adapt to the new mineral marketing system, and benefit from training and capacity-building for future sales and negotiations.
MDO, for its part, had committed to developing an integrated system for registration, contracting, global pricing, and logistics to ensure reliable supply, prioritise local market needs, and prepare the private sector for the new centralised trading model.
Oman’s gypsum sector recorded production of around 14 million tonnes in 2024, with exports estimated at about 12 million tonnes, making it one of the world’s largest gypsum exporters, while chromite output is significantly smaller at roughly 300,000 tonnes in 2024, with most production directed toward export markets for metallurgical use.