Monday 06 / May / 2024
Muscat: With a growth of six percent, the total volume of investments in all of Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (Opaz) amounted to OMR15.20 billion at the end of 2022. The total area of the zones exceeded 2,200 square kilometres.
In addition, over 130 usufruct agreements were signed last year and the number of workers in the special economic zones and free zones stood at 74,663, while the investment requests exceeded 600 and the number of projects reached 3,246 in all zones.
These details were revealed by Opaz at its annual media briefing on Sunday in the presence of Dr. Ali Masoud Al Sunaidy, Chairman of Opaz, Eng. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Dheeb, Deputy Chairman, CEOs of the special economic zones and free zones and other officials.
During the event, Opaz presented its key achievements of 2022 and also disclosed its objectives for the current year, the main projects and accomplishments in the different special economic zones and the free zones.
In his speech, Dr. Ali Masoud Al Sunaidy said that there are 21 zones affiliated to Opaz, including 13 existing zones that are the Special Economic Zone in Duqm, three free zones (Sohar, Salalah and Al Mazunah, and other nine economic zones under the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), while eight other zones are still under development (two of which are economic and one is a free zone), in addition to five industrial zones in the Sultanate of Oman.
“The Integrated Economic Zone in Al Dhahirah Governorate, which is under development, will be among the promising upcoming zones, as it is expected to be jointly managed by Oman and Saudi Arabia.
“Further, there is a study to complete the planning aspects of Al Rawdah Zone in Al Buraimi Governorate and other zones too,” he added.
