Tuesday 10 / November / 2026
Muscat: Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), on Tuesday held a meeting with Sahib Saifnazarov, Head of the Department of Free Zones and Special Economic Zones at the Ministry of Investments, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, who is currently visiting the Sultanate of Oman.
The meeting explored opportunities to enhance investment cooperation between Oman and Uzbekistan in special economic zones and free zones.
The discussions focused on encouraging the implementation of export-oriented projects, exchanging expertise in the management of economic zones and free zones and enhancing the services provided to investors therein.
The meeting was in pursuance of previous discussions aimed at converting recommendations for cooperation into concrete projects and initiatives. The two sides also discussed the development of a joint roadmap to define cooperation priorities, mechanisms of project implementation and the formation of a joint working group.
The meeting also covered ways to encourage Uzbek companies to establish projects in the sectors of production, manufacturing and logistics within the zones overseen by OPAZ.
It sought measures to advise Omani investors about opportunities to participate in projects in Uzbekistan’s economic and industrial zones, including the sectors of general industry, agro-processing, food production, chemicals, mining, construction materials and logistics.
The two sides studied means of establishing centres for trade, distribution and logistics to facilitate the easy flow of Uzbek products into the Sultanate of Oman, as well as means of linking such centres with logistics hubs in Uzbekistan in a manner that supports the access of products from both countries to regional and international markets.
They also discussed the streamlining investment procedures through “single-window” services and developing institutional capacities and human resources through training programmes.
In addition, the two sides reviewed a proposed draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) to devise a formal framework for bilateral cooperation.
