The Sultanate of Oman continues its successful participation at SIAL Paris 2026 in France through a national pavilion highlighting the diversity of Omani food products and the ability of local companies to compete in international markets and expand their global reach. The products on display reflect the breadth of the Sultanate's food production base, ranging from vegetable oils and their derivatives to canned seafood, dates and date-based products, and tahini, among others.
Khalid al Salehi, Director General of Marketing and Commercial Affairs and Official Spokesperson for Madayn, said Oman's participation in SIAL Paris 2026 provides a key opportunity to strengthen the presence of Omani food products in international markets, while highlighting their quality, diversity and ability to meet international market standards.
He noted that the national pavilion enables participating companies to engage directly with buyers, distributors and food industry specialists, explore export and trade opportunities, and build partnerships to support their expansion into European and other international markets. "The Sultanate's first participation in the exhibition brings together seven food manufacturing sector companies and four government bodies under a national pavilion overseen by the OPEX team, which reflects coordinated efforts to promote Omani products and attract new investments into the sector," al Salehi pointed out.
Al Salehi added that the range of products on display highlights the potential of Oman's food industry, while participation in the exhibition provides an opportunity to learn about the latest market trends and developments in food processing, manufacturing and packaging, thereby supporting the development of national products, strengthening their competitiveness and enhancing local content.
For his part, Mahmoud al Yazidi, Head of Export Promotion Department at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, stated that maximising the benefits of participating in the exhibition requires turning business meetings into actionable follow-up plans. These plans, he noted, should define key priorities and target markets, helping companies assess opportunities based on their production capacity and export readiness.
"The sustainability of food exports is closely tied to the companies' ability to fulfil supply commitments, comply with technical and health standards, and complete registration requirements in importing markets, alongside maintaining competitive pricing and efficient logistics," al Yazidi added.
Abbas al Ajmi, Chief Operations Officer at Oman Agriculture Development Company, said the company's participation at SIAL Paris aims to strengthen the global presence of Omani products, showcase its diverse range of dates and date-based products, build business ties with importers and distributors, and explore new export opportunities.
He said the company is displaying a selection of dates and related products, including date syrup and innovative date-based products, with a focus on quality and the added value generated through processing and product development. He added that the exhibition provides an opportunity to demonstrate the competitiveness of national products and establish commercial partnerships that can expand their reach in international markets.
Highlighting Oman's rapidly growing fisheries sector, Hamad al Kalbani, Marketing and Sales Lead at International Seafood Company (Simak), emphasised that the company's participation aims to introduce Omani canned tuna and sardines to European Union markets while promoting the Sultanate's premium seafood on the global stage.
"Simak operates one of the largest seafood processing facilities in the region on an area spanning 85,000 sqm. The plant boasts an annual processing capacity of 30,000 tonnes of fish, producing up to 100 million cans per year. These robust capabilities directly reinforce Simak's strategy to scale its international footprint, enter new export destinations, and establish long-term commercial partnerships with global buyers and distributors," he remarked.
Oman's participation in SIAL Paris 2026 reflects cooperation between the public and private sectors to support food exports and showcase the production capacity, manufacturing expertise and competitiveness of national companies. The participation also highlights the importance of turning contacts and opportunities established at the exhibition into sustainable business ties that strengthen the presence of Omani products in international markets.
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