JEDDAH: Oman has signed 28 investment agreements worth more than 304 million Omani rials ($790 million) for projects and expansions across its industrial cities, special economic zones and free zones.

The largest share of the investment, about 147.5 million rials, will go to projects in industrial cities covering a combined area of more than 756,000 sq. metres.

These include a steel products factory in Sohar valued at more than 112 million rials, according to Oman News Agency. 

Other investments include 58.5 million rials in Sohar Free Zone, 55.08 million rials in Duqm Special Economic Zone, 32.95 million rials in Salalah Free Zone and more than 10.4 million rials in Khazaen Economic City. 

The agreements come as Oman implements its 11th Five-Year Development Plan for 2026-2030, which aims to diversify the economy, boost private investment and expand non-oil sectors.

The plan identifies manufacturing as a key growth sector, targeting annual growth of 5.9 percent, alongside efforts to strengthen food security and transport and logistics. 

Qais bin Mohammed Al-Yousef, chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, or OPAZ, said the agreements were part of the authority’s efforts to attract high-quality investments, broaden the base of specialised economic and industrial projects, and strengthen the competitiveness of special economic zones, free zones and industrial cities. 

“The authority and the zones under its supervision were committed to developing an investment environment characterized by regulatory clarity and efficient services, while strengthening partnerships with investors to help their projects benefit from Oman’s infrastructure and strategic location and its connections to regional and global markets,” Al-Yousef was quoted by ONA as saying. 

Investments in Sohar Free Zone include an automotive assembly complex spanning 317,000 sq. metres, with an investment of 38 million rials, as well as a Voltamp factory to manufacture power and distribution transformers. 

The latter involves an investment of 15 million rials and covers 75,000 sq. metres, with plans to export its products to regional and international markets. 

Lalan Middle East will also invest 1.5 million rials to expand its medical device manufacturing facility, increase production capacity and add production, storage and support-service facilities. 

The agreements also include a 3.85 million-rial investment by Five Stars Group to establish a warehouse for sorting used clothing and exporting it to international markets, as well as a 150,000-rial investment in a facility for storing and re-exporting goods, ONA reported. 

Raid bin Mohammed Al-Rubaiey, CEO of Sohar Port and Freezone, said the agreements reflected the free zone’s strategic direction of attracting high-quality investments that diversify the industrial base, localise value-added industries and consolidate Sohar Port and Freezone’s position as a regional and global hub for industry, trade and logistics services. 

Projects in Duqm 

Investments in Duqm Special Economic Zone include a 40 million-rial shrimp-feed factory, alongside projects involving fish processing and the recycling of used oil and petroleum waste. 

Another project combines a quarantine facility for imported livestock with a red meat supply facility, involving an investment of 4 million rials across more than 526,000 sq. metres. 

A separate 5.36 million-rial project will establish a factory to can demersal fish products. The facility is expected to have two processing and manufacturing lines with a combined capacity of 40 to 60 tonnes of fresh fish a day. 

Salalah and Khazaen expand manufacturing 

Salalah Free Zone will host a 19.25 million-rial steel-structure manufacturing project covering more than 22,000 sq. metres and a 7.7 million-rial gypsum products facility spanning more than 112,000 sq. metres. Other projects include cheese and dairy production. 

Ali bin Mohammed Tabouk, CEO of Salalah Free Zone, said the projects would strengthen links between manufacturing, food industries and supporting services, while leveraging the zone’s connection to Salalah Port and international markets. 

In Khazaen Economic City, planned investments include a factory for electric vehicle chargers and components worth more than 3.4 million rials, as well as a 2.5 million-rial facility producing precast concrete building components. 

Additional projects include a 2 million-rial building materials manufacturing investment, a 400,000-rial ready-mix concrete facility and another 400,000-rial investment in a complex focused on building materials, logistics and light industry. 

Said bin Khalifa Al Quraini, director-general of the Investment Development Sector at OPAZ, said the projects would strengthen links between specialised manufacturing, logistics and supporting services, while creating opportunities for wider industrial partnerships across the zones.