Oman secures RO 97.4m in food investments

MUSCAT: Invest Oman and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources have facilitated 12 projects with a combined investment value of RO 97.413 million and prepared a further 13 investment opportunities worth RO 122.849 million.
The projects cover food manufacturing, agriculture, aquaculture and related industries across several governorates. The additional opportunities are being presented to investors through the Invest Oman platform.
The cooperation brings together the ministry’s sector expertise and Invest Oman’s work on preparing projects for investment and connecting them with potential investors. Officials said the approach aims to strengthen food security, expand domestic production and increase local value addition.
Among the projects secured are a RO 27 million Meat City development in Salalah, a RO 14 million food manufacturing facility in Khazaen Economic City and a RO 16 million Green Charcoal project on land allocated through the agriculture and fisheries ministry.
Other projects include a RO 7.7 million Sohar food and beverages manufacturing facility in Khazaen Economic City, a RO 3.465 million pet food plant in Salalah Free Zone and the RO 1.7 million Taj Al Bahr aquaculture project in Quriyat.
The portfolio also includes date palm cultivation valued at RO 1.342 million, wheat cultivation worth RO 1.205 million, a RO 1.2 million honey production facility in Barka, South Al Batinah Governorate, and a RO 1 million agricultural gypsum manufacturing facility in Al Khaburah, North Al Batinah Governorate.
Dr Masoud bin Sulaiman al Azri, Director General of Agricultural and Fisheries Marketing at the ministry, said coordination with Invest Oman had helped turn sector requirements and available resources into investment projects.
He said the cooperation allowed both entities to apply their expertise at different stages of project development and should be extended to further opportunities in agriculture, fisheries and food production.
Invest Oman Chief Executive Officer Eng Nasser bin Khalifa al Kindi said the results demonstrated the value of combining sector knowledge with investment expertise to develop projects that reflect economic priorities and market needs.
Invest Oman would continue working with government entities to improve project readiness, develop investment opportunities and facilitate access to suitable investors, he said.
Dr Hamdan bin Salim al Wahibi, Director General of Agricultural Development at the ministry, said the agricultural projects would support domestic production and the development of local value chains.
He said turning available agricultural resources into productive businesses could diversify output, increase local value addition and attract further investment.
Of the 13 opportunities available through Invest Oman, six are in the Najd Agricultural Area in Al Mazyouna, Dhofar Governorate.
These comprise a livestock fattening and dairy production project valued at RO 4.449 million, melon cultivation worth RO 2.1 million and greenhouse production of leafy vegetables valued at RO 1.6 million.
The remaining Najd opportunities are onion cultivation and processing worth RO 4.8 million, garlic cultivation valued at RO 2.3 million and potato cultivation and processing worth RO 5.5 million.
A RO 17 million Smart Agricultural Complex in Quriyat, Muscat Governorate, is also available for investment.
The fisheries opportunities include a RO 6.2 million marine aquaculture equipment manufacturing facility in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm and a RO 7.2 million integrated fishing equipment manufacturing complex at Duqm Port.
Other opportunities comprise a RO 4.7 million tuna fattening project using floating cages in Quriyat and a RO 10 million Omani abalone aquaculture project in Shaleem and the Hallaniyat Islands, Dhofar Governorate.
Two shrimp projects account for the largest individual investment values among the opportunities: a RO 32 million giant shrimp aquaculture project in Ras Madrakah, Al Wusta Governorate, and a RO 25 million whiteleg shrimp aquaculture project in Ras Sarq, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, South Al Sharqiyah Governorate.
Dr Abdulaziz bin Saeed al Marzouqi, Director General of Fisheries Resources Development at the ministry, said the opportunities covered aquaculture and associated manufacturing and services.
Their range of activities, locations and investment values would give investors more options while supporting the sustainable development of fisheries resources, he said.
Rawaa bint Mohammed al Lawati, Investor Relations Specialist and Head of the Support Team at Invest Oman, said the ministry identified sector needs, resources and priority projects, while Invest Oman developed them into opportunities suited to investor requirements.
This included defining each project’s activity, location, investment value and available support before connecting it with potential investors.
She said the approach helped the ministry reach a wider investor base while giving Invest Oman a more specialised portfolio linked to sector requirements.
The partnership supports Oman Vision 2040 objectives to diversify the economy, develop priority sectors and improve the use of national resources. Officials said similar cooperation with other government entities could expand the pipeline of investment opportunities. — ONA