MUSCAT: Invest Oman attracted eight projects worth a combined RO 460.74 million in the first half of 2026, as the Sultanate stepped up efforts to draw foreign capital into manufacturing, logistics, energy, food and healthcare.
The investment promotion platform also developed and marketed 22 investment opportunities and approached 150 international companies during the six-month period, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion said.
The projects came as Oman’s stock of foreign direct investment rose by 8.7 per cent year-on-year to RO 32.20 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
New foreign investment inflows reached RO 2.50 billion during the period.
Invest Oman acts as a central gateway for investors seeking opportunities in the Sultanate, linking businesses with government agencies and helping them complete licensing and other procedures.
Eng Nasser bin Khalifa al Kindi, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Oman, said the first-half results reflected increased coordination between the platform, government bodies and strategic partners.
The coordination was helping authorities respond more quickly to investor requirements and strengthen Oman’s competitiveness as a regional business and investment centre, he said.
From the launch of Invest Oman in 2023 to the end of June 2026, the ministry facilitated 45 investment projects with a combined value of RO 4.00 billion.
These included 37 newly localised projects and seven existing ventures that received support to overcome operational or administrative challenges and continue their investments.
The platform also helped promote one strategic project.
Al Kindi said Invest Oman’s role had expanded beyond identifying and advertising opportunities to supporting investors throughout the project cycle.
Its work includes introducing investors to potential projects, coordinating with relevant authorities, addressing challenges and helping companies move towards implementation.
Promotional efforts are focused on industries considered central to Oman’s economic diversification programme, including manufacturing, food security, logistics, healthcare and energy.
The ministry is seeking investments that increase domestic value addition, strengthen supply chains, expand local content and bring advanced technologies and technical expertise into the country.
Oman has introduced a series of economic and regulatory reforms under Oman Vision 2040 to attract private investment, expand non-oil industries and reduce the economy’s dependence on hydrocarbon revenue.
Authorities are also marketing industrial estates, free zones, special economic zones and sector-specific opportunities to international companies seeking access to Gulf, Asian and African markets. — ONA
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