Oman targets higher MINERAL Export Returns

SALALAH: Oman is seeking higher returns from its gypsum and chromite resources through more coordinated marketing and domestic processing, while giving local industries priority over exports, a Ministry of Energy and Minerals official said on Thursday.
The push is significant for Oman’s gypsum industry, which exported 12.4 million tonnes in 2024 — about 35 per cent of the country’s 35.9 million tonnes of mineral ore exports that year, according to Ministry data.
Salim al Kathiri, Director of the Minerals Department in Dhofar at the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said mineral resources should be treated as national assets whose economic contribution should be maximised rather than simply as raw materials for export.
Speaking in a radio interview, Al Kathiri said more organised marketing of gypsum and chromite should improve the competitiveness of Omani products, strengthen negotiating power in target markets and generate better returns.
But he said domestic requirements would remain a priority as Oman seeks to expand mineral-based manufacturing and downstream industries.
Oman produced 67.7 million tonnes of mineral commodities in 2024 and sold 62.5 million tonnes with a reported sales value of RO 114.3 million, according to Ministry figures.
The government has been restructuring the trade in gypsum and chromite through Oman Minerals Trading Company (OMTC), established under Ministerial Decision 18/2025 to centralise aspects of marketing and exports.
The framework gives priority to domestic demand and is intended to address fragmented marketing, multiple intermediaries and pricing weaknesses while strengthening Oman’s position with overseas buyers.
Raw chromite exports are also subject to a minimum chromium concentration of 36 per cent under the framework, while processed material is governed separately by Ministry requirements.
Al Kathiri said closer coordination between the Ministry, mineral producers, OMTC, ports and logistics providers would be needed to build a more integrated value chain linking extraction, processing, marketing and international markets.
The policy comes as Oman prepares for further growth in industrial-mineral production.
In Dhofar, Mineral Development Oman is developing the Al Shuwaimiyah industrial minerals project around gypsum, limestone and dolomite deposits. The project envisages annual production capacity of up to 30 million tonnes of gypsum and limestone, supported by dedicated export infrastructure.
The expansion increases the economic importance of securing stronger returns from each tonne produced, particularly as Oman seeks to develop more processing and manufacturing activity around its mineral resources.
Al Kathiri said the strategy ultimately seeks to balance stronger international competitiveness with the requirements of domestic industry, allowing a greater share of the economic value generated by Oman’s mineral wealth to remain within the country.