Sunday 15 / June / 2025
Muscat: The total investment in the food sector within the industrial cities under the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) has now exceeded OMR164 million, marking a major milestone in supporting national food security and economic diversification.
Madayn is currently home to 98 food industry projects across its various industrial cities, occupying over 1.5 million square metres and providing employment for more than 3,600 workers.
This achievement reflects Madayn’s continued efforts, in collaboration with related bodies, primarily the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, to enhance local and foreign investment opportunities and attract quality projects that support the Sultanate’s food security goals in alignment with Oman Vision 2040.
Khalid Al Salehi, Director General of Marketing and Commercial Affairs at Madayn, stated that Madayn has successfully localised 13 new projects in the food industries sector during 2025, attracting a total investment exceeding OMR14 million. These projects will be established across more than 224,000 sqm area, covering activities such as the production of vegetable oils, flour, tuna, bottled water, food packaging, and logistics projects.
Al Salehi added that efforts are ongoing to localise more projects in this sector throughout 2025, with several contracts currently under review.
As part of its strategic focus on the food industry, Madayn continues to allocate dedicated plots within its industrial cities. Additionally, agricultural zones have been designated in Madayn’s new industrial cities in Al Mudhaibi, Thumrait, and Al Suwaiq to support integrated agri-industrial development. Among Madayn’s key initiatives to support this sector is the “Madayn Agriculture” project in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.
The initiative aims to establish greenhouses in selected industrial cities to promote local food production, encourage entrepreneurship, enhance food security, and support trade balance by boosting exports and reducing imports.
In a step toward international collaboration, Madayn has also signed a memorandum of understanding with a South Korean company to develop a specialised food industry project in the Sultanate. The project will focus on establishing smart farms for growing Korean fruits and the launch of a café centered around farm-produced goods.
Al Salehi emphasised that Madayn has recently intensified its promotional efforts for investment opportunities in the food industry sector, both locally and globally, through targeted marketing campaigns and participation in specialised exhibitions.
The food industries sector represents one of the key pillars of the Sultanate’s industrial base, being a fundamental component of the national food security system in conjunction with other production chains, and a vital sector for achieving economic diversification in line with Oman Vision 2040.
