MANAH, JAN 8
With 270 investors in attendance, Al Dakhiliyah hosted the first investment forum, 'Promising Opportunities towards an Attractive Investment Environment', at the Oman Across Ages Museum in the Willayat of Manah on Wednesday.
The forum was held under the auspices of Abdulsalam bin Mohammed al Murshidi, Chairman of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) in the presence of Shaikh Hilal bin Said al Hajri, Governor of Al Dakhiliyah.
The forum is a continuation of discussion sessions, investment ideas, and suggestions that resulted from the investment forum preparation workshop, which was held in June 2023.
In collaboration with key government agencies and the private sector, the first Al Dakhiliyah Investment Forum aims to assess more than a hundred investment prospects in diverse sectors. This aims to improve the investment climate by leveraging the governorate's comparative advantage and allowing investors to establish projects and expand in order to increase financial returns.
Shaikh Hilal said, "This event is considered the first economic event in the Governorate of Al Dakhiliyah, and it was prepared during the past six months through a partnership with various government agencies and the private sector to create ready and integrated job opportunities for investment. We called it a forum that brings together investors, government agencies, and those concerned with the private sector in one place, thus highlighting these opportunities." The forum provided several working papers to the various participating parties, which addressed subjects relating to the procedures that the investor must follow to secure all licenses. The governorate's investment prospects and amenities, including incentives, facilities, and banking packages, are available to investors.
The forum included visual presentations of the experiences of a number of entrepreneurs.
Issa bin Saleh al Subaihi, Director of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority Department in Al Dakhiliyah, said, "The forum was an opportunity to discuss a range of general topics, including services that the authority provides to entrepreneurs, including consultations, economic studies, commercial franchising, local added value opportunities, supplier development, and many other services." Falah bin Ahmed al Ruqaishi, Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al Dakhiliyah Governorate Branch, said: “Such forums have an impact on investment here in the governorate. There is no doubt that these forums play a pivotal role in attracting investors. We are entering a very important stage by diversifying sources of investment income in the country." Several usufruct agreements were also signed at the forum between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and several local investors, namely a water desalination project in the Wilayat of Adam with an investment value of RO 250,000 on an area of 5000 square metres, a project to establish an asphalt and ready-mixed concrete factory in Nizwa on an area of 15000 square metres valued at RO 700,000 as well as a project to establish an entertainment city in Samayil, at a value of 122,428, on an area of 7,000 square metres.
At the event, Abdulsalam bin Mohammed al Murshidi, OIA Chairman, honoured the participants in the forum and then toured the accompanying exhibition.
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