Wednesday 12 / February / 2025
Muscat: The most prominent achievements of the Omani industry during the year and the expected growth prospects in the industrial sector and its related sectors will be highlighted on Omani Industry Day, which falls on February 9 every year.
Qais bin Mohammad Al Yousuf, Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment Promotion, with several officials in the ministry, will meet via visual communication with industrialists to mark the day's celebration.
Also, the most prominent challenges facing the Omani industry and industrialists, the ways to increase the industrial sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) and advancing development and the economy will also be discussed.
The celebration will also include announcing factories that win the His Majesty the Sultan Award for Industrial Excellence, which aims to continuously develop the performance of all industrial processes efficiently and effectively in line with the current and future stage in terms of technological development.
The industrial sector in the Sultanate has witnessed rapid developments over the past 50 years of the Blessed Renaissance led by the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said who emphasised his keenness in supporting the industrial sector through the establishment of industrial zones, supporting national products and the need to develop and encourage such products at the local and international levels.
Zahra bint Ali Al-Siyabiya, Director of the Department of Industrial Development at the Ministry indicated that the ministry will continue to support the existing industrial establishments by facilitating the process of purchasing their products in cooperation with the relevant authorities, according to specific criteria, the most important element of which is their compliance with the specifications of the concerned authorities and the provision of the required quality.
She added that the ministry is studying new industrial investment opportunities and ways to attract investors. To achieve this, the ministry has been concerned with formulating the concept of local added value in the Sultanate and discussing its implementation mechanisms, taking into account the adoption of best international practices in this field.
Eng. Saeed bin Nasser Al Rashdi, CEO of the Omani Industrialists Association, said that the Omani Industrialists Association, since its establishment, took the initiative to communicate with all relevant authorities in the industrial sector to coordinate efforts and integrate the sector. “There is no doubt that there are great challenges that need to be dealt with on an ongoing basis, and the association can be the desired link between the industrial sector and the bodies responsible for it,” he added.
Eng. Saeed Al Rashdi affirmed that manufacturing industries play an important role in providing long-term jobs for national workers, calling for the use of the services provided by the Oman Industrialists Association, whether in terms of technical or administrative consultations.
The CEO of the Oman Industrialists Association went on to point out that the development of the manufacturing sector requires an integrated system of legislation and policies, the most important of which is simplifying of procedures, reducing various fees, providing energy at a competitive cost, developing labour laws to motivate workers, developing ports and free zones, encouraging bringing foreign capital to the industry, focusing on education on modern technologies the partnership between the public and private sectors, and the signing of international agreements for customs exemption, among others. That can contribute significantly to the development of the sector.
