Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Undersecretary visits Sur Industrial City

Business Sunday 11/October/2020 15:18 PM
By: Times News Service
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion Undersecretary visits Sur Industrial City

Muscat: Dr Saleh bin Said Masan, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion for Commerce and Industry, visited Sur Industrial City to get acquainted with the current development and investment projects in the industrial city.
Accompanied by Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, Chief Executive Officer of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates – Madayn, Masan visited a number of industrial units at Sur Industrial City and interacted with the investors and business owners on topics related to the production processes, the companies’ requirements, and the support provided by Madayn to overcome the current challenges.
During the visit, Eng. Abdulqadir bin Salim Al Balushi, Director General of Sur Industrial City, stated that the total volume of investments at Sur Industrial City has surpassed OMR2,045 billion until mid-2020, marking a growth rate of 0.67 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. “Moreover, the number of the workforce at the industrial city increased to 4,111 noting an Omanisation rate of 49 per cent. The total number of localised projects touched 127 by mid-2020, and the total area of Sur Industrial City reached 36,1 million sqm, which makes it the largest industrial city in terms of its area.”
Al Balushi pointed out that Madayn is currently working on boosting the quality of the investment environment in Sur Industrial City. A package of investment opportunities was announced to be developed by the private sector, which includes the establishment of workforce township, integrated engineering workshop, facility building, and shipyard complex. “We hope these projects will contribute to providing support services to the companies and factories operating in the industrial city,” he pointed out.
A tender has also been floated for the project of developing a cluster of Small and Medium Enterprises at a total cost of more than OMR12.5 million. The project includes developing an area of 2 million sqm that includes the construction of roads and the provision of all basic services. The implementation period of this project is estimated to reach 18 months.
Al Balushi also informed that Sur Industrial City has received a number of investment applications, which are currently under evaluation. These applications are estimated at more than OMR1 billion in petrochemical, mining and technology sectors. “We hope these projects will be localised in the coming period to contribute in creating promising job opportunities for the Omanis,” he added.  
During his visit to Sur Industrial City, Al Masan visited Ceramica Al Hael Company, Sunrise Fisheries Company, Al Shorooq Cement Products Company, Khat Al Atqan Trading, Hbal Al Sawary Trading, and Sur Gate project.