OIA eyes new markets as Oman leverages Belt and Road connectivity

MUSCAT: Oman Investment Authority (OIA) is seeking to harness Oman’s strategic location, international investment portfolio and expanding network of global partnerships to capture new market opportunities along and beyond China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Muneer Ali al Muneeri, Deputy President for Operations at OIA, outlined the strategy during a session titled “Exploring New Market Opportunities Along the Belt and Road and Beyond” at the Belt and Road Summit 2026 in Hong Kong. The session focused particularly on opportunities emerging across the Middle East and Africa amid shifts in the global business landscape.
Al Muneeri highlighted Oman’s geographical position at the crossroads of Asia, the Middle East and Africa, supported by the ports of Suhar, Salalah and Duqm and infrastructure outside the Strait of Hormuz, as a key competitive advantage.
Some Omani ports have recorded traffic growth of up to 100 per cent, he noted, underscoring their growing potential to support resilient international trade and supply chains.
At the same time, OIA is using its international investments to help Omani companies gain access to capital, technologies, expertise, global networks and international markets. Around two-thirds of OIA’s investments are allocated within Oman, while the remainder is invested internationally across more than 50 countries, according to Al Muneeri.
Diversification across markets, partners and supply chains is also central to OIA’s approach to navigating geopolitical shifts while maintaining commercial and investment viability, he said.
The next phase will increasingly focus on long-term strategic partnerships that build domestic capabilities and connect markets. OIA currently has around 40 joint investment funds spanning different geographies, helping broaden its international partnerships and investment reach.
China is emerging as an important component of this strategy, particularly in new energy, advanced industries and digital infrastructure. Al Muneeri pointed to strengthened partnerships involving the Templewater Energy Transition Fund, IDG Oman, ewpartners Oman and New Momentum.
OIA’s strategy was further illustrated during the Hong Kong summit by an agreement under which it will commit 25 per cet of the capital of the Templewater Innovation Fund, while 50 per cent of the fund’s overall capital will be allocated to investments in Oman. The arrangement is designed to connect Chinese and Hong Kong technology and industrial capabilities with opportunities in the Sultanate. ‏
The initiative forms part of OIA’s wider “Omani Angle” approach, under which overseas investments are expected to deliver benefits beyond financial returns by attracting investment, technology and expertise to Oman while opening international markets to Omani businesses.
Al Muneeri said China’s technological and industrial strengths complement the Middle East’s capital and energy resources, as well as Africa’s markets, resources and growth potential - creating scope for partnerships that extend well beyond the traditional geographical boundaries of the Belt and Road.