Oman to Set up 635 Industrial Projects

As many as 216 industrial projects are under different stages of construction, while plots are allotted for another 421 new units in different industrial estates and a free zone located across the Sultanate of Oman.

These projects, which include manufacturing units like plastic materials, steel products, marble, building materials, light industries and warehouses, are coming up at Sohar, Raysut, Buraimi, Sumail, Nizwa, Sur, Rusayl industrial estates and Mazunah Free Zone, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) said in response to ‘Times of Oman’ queries.

Public Establishment for Industrial Estates acts as a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs by managing Rusayl, Raysut, Sohar, Sur, Nizwa, Buraimi and Sumail industrial estates. The establishment also manages the country’s premier information technology park – Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) – and a free trade zone – Al Mazunah Free Zone.

In fact, maximum number of new projects are coming up in Sohar Industrial Estate (53 under construction), which is followed by Raysut (41), Buraimi (34), Sumail (33), Nizwa (22), Sur (21), Rusayl (8) and Al Mazunah Free Zone (4).

As far as the allotment of industrial plots to industrialists is concerned, Sumail Industrial Estate has allotted the maximum number of industrial plots (137), which is followed by Rusayl (66), Buraimi (63), Sohar (52), Raysut (38), Al Mazunah (32), Nizwa (20), Sur (11) and Knowledge Oasis Muscat (2).

The Sultanate has been investing heavily in developing new industrial estates and expanding existing ones to meet the growing demand from private sector, which is expected to create employment opportunities for Omani youths.

The PEIE in March this year said that the establishment has completed 15 per cent of basic infrastructure work at Sumail Industrial Estate.

“The project is expected to be completed by first quarter of 2017 with an estimated cost exceeding OMR39 million. The project involves development of infrastructure facilities of the estate on a total area of 753 hectares (The first phase involves an area of 548 hectares, while the second phase has an area of 205 hectares),” noted PEIE in an earlier release.

The project also involves implementation of road works along 46.29 kilometres for the first phase and 10.21 kilometres for the second phase. Moreover, the project comprises implementation of water network of 47.96 kilometres in the first phase and 10.81 kilometers in the second phase, as well as irrigation network on a length of 47.96 kilometres in the first phase and 10.52 kilometres in the second phase.

Rainwater drainage network will be implemented as part of the project on a length of 36.16 kilometers in the first phase and 13.11 kilometres in the second phase. Also, there will be sewage network of 41.9 kilometres in the first phase and 10.38 kilometres in the second phase, and fibre-optic network in cooperation with Oman Broadband Company of 32.41 kilometres in the first phase and 8.82km in the second phase. Power cable works are also involved on a length of 50.6 kilometres in the first phase and 15.95 kilometres in the second phase.

Last year, Sumail Industrial Estate received an initial expansion on an area of 358,682 square metres and was able to localise 42 manufacturing and service projects. As many as 17 projects have reached the stage of trial production.

Also, in 2015, the estate met with more than 109 investors and urged the localised projects in the estate to commence their projects without any delay.

Sumail Industrial Estate is significant for the development of Al Dakhiliyah governorate, which aims at pushing the governorate’s development forward and contributing to the national economy. The estate has been divided into several sectors comprising food industry, plastic materials industry, steel industry, marble industry, building materials and warehouses.