OQ commits RO 20 million to youth centre

BUSINESS REPORTER
MUSCAT, OCT 27
OQ Group has signed an agreement to provide RO 20 million for the construction of the Youth Centre’s main headquarters in Muscat Governorate, supporting skills development, innovation and entrepreneurship among young Omanis.
The agreement was signed during Omani Youth Day celebrations held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Belarab bin Haitham al Said, Minister of State and Governor of Muscat.
The centre will house business incubators, co-working spaces, innovation and fabrication facilities, training halls and creative studios. It aims to help young people develop commercially relevant skills and turn ideas into projects with economic and social value.
Khalid bin Said al Shuaibi, Chairman of the Youth Centre, and Jassim bin Hassan al Ajmi, Vice-President for Sustainability and Communications at OQ Group, signed the agreement.
The funding forms part of OQ’s social investment strategy, which focuses on education, skills development, economic prosperity and community engagement.
Ashraf bin Hamad al Maamari, Group Chief Executive of OQ, said the contribution reflected the group’s commitment to national projects offering lasting developmental benefits.
He said the centre would provide a space for young people from across the Sultanate of Oman to learn, work, innovate and exchange expertise. Partnerships with national institutions would help align skills development with the country’s economic priorities.
Al Shuaibi said the project would strengthen the infrastructure available to support young people’s talents and initiatives, helping them develop skills and contribute to economic and social development in line with Oman Vision 2040.
He said the initiative’s significance extended beyond its financial value to the opportunities it would create for young Omanis, describing the agreement as a partnership supporting a project with long-term social benefits.
Estimates cited in the announcement suggest that every RO 1 invested in the project could generate about RO 11.4 in social and economic value over its first 10 years of operation. Returns associated with direct employment opportunities are projected at approximately RO 3 million.
The announcement did not detail the methodology or assumptions underpinning those estimates.
OQ allocated approximately RO 12 million to 256 social investment initiatives in 2025, benefiting more than 23,600 people. More than 1,300 employees contributed over 21,000 volunteer hours.
Education and economic prosperity initiatives accounted for 55 per cent of the allocated funding, while youth and civic engagement received 19 per cent.
The group’s graduate skills development programme, delivered in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, had welcomed 130 graduates by early 2026. OQ also supports specialist learning and leadership development through its Takatuf, Tamayuz and I’dad programmes, alongside science, technology and innovation initiatives.
Its Research, Development and Innovation Centre provides mentorship and technical expertise to help develop solutions and start-ups, supporting efforts to translate research and knowledge into commercial opportunities.
The new Youth Centre is intended to bring learning, collaboration and entrepreneurship facilities together in a single national platform, expanding access to resources that can help young Omanis prepare for employment and develop businesses.