As many as 16 industrial cities and related manufacturing zones are expected to form part of Oman’s expanding industrial base by the year 2040 — up from 11 presently — with the non-oil economy playing an increasingly important role in powering economic growth over the next 20 years.
According to an outline of the Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), approved by the government in March this year, the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to grow at the rate of 3 — 5 per cent annually through to 2040, buoyed by a higher contribution from the non-hydrocarbon sector. Non-oil activities that will drive growth include knowledge and innovation industries, tourism, manufacturing, logistics, finance and services.
A broad roadmap for the achievement of these and other objectives is enshrined in the ONSS. As a “fundamental enabler” of the goals of Oman Vision 2040, the Strategy will ensure the competitiveness of the different cities and regions of the country, and their overall sustainable development in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030.
In other ambitious targets set out in the Strategy, at three new free zones are anticipated to be established at key locations around the Sultanate by the year 2040, adding to the existing three currently in operation at Suhar, Salalah and Al Mazyona.
Tourism clusters are projected to balloon from the present four to a total of 22 by 2040. The report cites the potential for varied tourism development — adventure, eco-tourism related, cultural, heritage and marine — at select locations across the expanse of the country.
In addition to well-established tourism industries centring around Muscat, Salalah, Nizwa and Sur, it highlights the potential for adventure tourism in parts of Al Wusta Governorate; eco-tourism in Musandam; a cultural heritage corridor covering the wilayats of Al Rustaq, Nakhal, Wadi Al Maawil and Al Awabi; coastal tourism in Al Musannah; niche tourism activities in Dhahirah Governorate; camel-related tourism activities in Bidiya; marine tourism in South Al Sharqiyah; and desert tourism in Al Buraimi.
With a view to monetising Oman’s abundant mineral resources, the Strategy has formulated prudent policies that balance this objective with the goal of preserving ecologically valuable areas.
It explained: “The National Strategy has defined mining areas, classified by priority that takes into account the value of the mineral, and the areas of special planning zones, in a way that preserves those areas and ensures responsible and sustainable mining through investing in high-value mineral resources, in keeping with specific controls and requirements.”
Mining, alongside agriculture and fisheries, are seen as important pillars of growth in rural areas, including parts of North Al Batinah Governorate, Nizwa in Al Dakhiliya Governorate, and Mahdah in Al Buraimi Governorate.
Further, to secure the country’s food requirements, the Strategy envisions a dramatic increase in the utilisation of arable land for agricultural purposes.
The target is to bring a total of 1,044 sq km of arable land under agricultural development by 2040, encompassing parts of Nejd in Dhofar, Al Massarat in Al Dhahirah and inland swathes of North Al Batinah. It advocates the sustainable management of limited water resources, exploitation of non-traditional water resources, and use of modern production technologies.
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