Oman's first fish oil refining unit opens in Duqm

Muscat: Oman's first fish oil refining unit opened on November 9 and was inaugurated by Eng. Ahmed Akaak Acting CEO of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (Sezad)  at the zone designated for fish and food industries in Sezad.

Gold Fin International company which specialises in the production of fish meal and fish oil extract opened the first unit for fish oil refining that is suitable for human consumption in Duqm. The unit has the processing capacity of 10 tonnes per day. Through the new refining unit, the plant can extract the fatty acids (Omega-3) found in fish which is suitable for human consumption.

Eng. Ahmed bin Ali Akaak, Chief Executive Officer in charge of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, said, “We are pleased today to inaugurate the fish oil refining unit, which represents an added value to the fish and food industries in the region, and which uses the latest technologies in refining fish oil and which produces oils for human use.”

Muhammad Basheer, Chairman and the owner of the plant, said, "We are proud today to open this unit in our plant within a short period , which is constantly growing in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The plant is considered, after the inauguration of its new unit, as the first plant in Oman to export such high-quality human Consumption Fish Oil products from Duqm to the world. We export our products to meet the needs and requirements of the International Market. Our international markets need such high-quality products for human consumption.”

Basheer added that the cost for establishing the fish plant, which was inaugurated in 2018, in the zone designated for fish and food industries.

The plant crushes fish and transfer it to a dry powder that is used as animals feed and aquaculture industry, pet food industry at 25 per cent, and 10-12 per cent as fish oil, and the remaining percentage is in the form of liquid.

He stressed that the plant will continue, through its former unit, to meet the needs of international markets for raw material that reaches China and India and Europe, as a primary market, and Thailand and Malaysia and Asian Sector.

“We are truly studying expansion in the near future, even though we are new to the zone,” he added.