Al
Mazyunah Economic Forum and Exhibition Opens in Dhofar
Al
Mazyunah, 2 Nov 2026 (ONA) — The activities of the 2nd Al Mazyunah Economic
Forum and Exhibition opened today at the Al Mazyunah Free Zone, Dhofar
Governorate.
Organized
by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates “Madayn”, the event aims to
enhance trade and investment cooperation and partnership between the Sultanate
of Oman and the Republic of Yemen, open direct communication channels among
companies, investors, and relevant entities, and explore supply and
distribution opportunities.
The
three-day Forum and Exhibition seeks to introduce economic and industrial
activities that can be localized in the Al Mazyunah Free Zone, taking advantage
of its strategic location and services to access regional markets.
The
opening of the exhibition and forum was held under the auspices of Qais Mohammed
Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free
Zones (OPAZ), who affirmed that organizing the second edition of this forum
comes as an extension of efforts aimed at enhancing the standing of free zones
in the Sultanate of Oman as drivers of economic diversification, investment
attraction, and the stimulation of regional trade.
He
explained that the Al Mazyunah Free Zone derives strategic importance from its
location on the border with the Republic of Yemen, and the opportunities this
provides for developing commercial, logistical, and industrial activities,
enhancing economic integration, and facilitating the flow of goods between
markets.
Al
Yousef stated that OPAZ is working in integration with the Public Establishment
for Industrial Estates (Madayn) and competent authorities to develop a
competitive investment environment and improve services and procedures that
support investors and enhance the zone’s attractiveness. He stressed that the
forum, accompanying exhibition, and bilateral meetings represent a practical
platform for exploring investment opportunities, exchanging expertise, building
partnerships, and transforming areas of cooperation into projects and
agreements with tangible economic impact.
He
expressed his expectation that the forum’s outcomes will contribute to
executing new initiatives and projects that strengthen Al Mazyunah Free Zone’s
position on the regional investment map, achieve sustainable economic returns,
and provide job opportunities, calling on investors from within and outside the
Sultanate of Oman to capitalize on available assets to establish projects that
open broader horizons for accessing regional markets.
For
his part, Eng. Dawood Salim Al Hadabi, CEO of the Public Establishment for
Industrial Estates, affirmed that Al Mazyunah Free Zone possesses integrated
capabilities to receive investments and localize projects, in light of the
infrastructure development it witnessed over past years, which included lands,
road networks, water, sewage, and firefighting systems, alongside the opening
of the Services and Facilities Building.
He
explained that infrastructure development coincided with the automation of
investment procedures and commercial operations, as well as the full operation
of the security system, providing investors with the prerequisites to
establish, operate, and expand their businesses, while enhancing Al Mazyunah’s
role as a land port connecting regional markets and supporting trade movement
among them.
He
pointed out that Madayn worked on developing handling services, customs yard
management, and gates in cooperation with relevant authorities, qualifying
Omani cadres to operate them, and obtaining accreditation for the port as a
final destination for incoming and outgoing goods. This enables companies to
establish diverse activities in storage, distribution, manufacturing, and
support services.
He
added that the establishment aims to enhance economic in-country value from
trade movement by attracting projects and businesses within the zone, and creating
opportunities from which small and medium enterprises and national competencies
benefit, emphasizing Madayn’s commitment to supporting investors and
transforming available opportunities into successful projects.
The
forum’s opening witnessed the announcement of two qualitative investment
opportunities. The first consists of developing the Al Mazyunah Integrated
Complex for Vehicle and Machinery Trade and Services over a proposed area of
100,000 square meters, while the second pertains to developing an integrated
center for processing and distributing vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish.
The
first investment opportunity aims to attract a master developer or specialized
consortium to undertake the project’s planning, development, operation, and the
attraction of operating companies, serving as an integrated destination for
commercial, technical, and logistical activities related to vehicles and
machinery. This encompasses reception, assembly, storage, display, marketing,
inspection, maintenance, rehabilitation, and preparation for sale, export, and
re-export.
The
second opportunity aims to attract specialized companies to develop an
integrated center for processing and distributing fresh food products, taking
advantage of Al Mazyunah’s location, the movement of incoming products from the
Republic of Yemen, and the possibility of providing processing services for
shipments prior to transporting them to Omani markets or re-exporting them to
other markets, thereby contributing to preserving their quality and commercial
value.
The
proposed components of the center include receiving shipments, evaluation,
sorting, grading, packaging, refrigeration, and temporary storage, alongside
order aggregation, shipping and distribution coordination, inventory
management, shipment tracking, and packaging. The determination of area,
capacity, and execution phases is left to the submitted investment proposals,
provided that moving forward with project development is examined according to
the level of investment interest, feasibility, and actionable concepts.
The
opening ceremony began with a speech by Eng. Ahmed Khamis Al Kasbi, Director
General of Al Mazyunah Free Zone, in which he affirmed that the second edition
of this forum comes as an extension of efforts aimed at consolidating the
zone’s standing as a commercial and investment gateway connecting the Sultanate
of Oman with Yemeni and regional markets, and a platform for introducing
achievements, legislative and regulatory developments, and initiatives
supporting investment and business facilitation.
He
explained that the issuance of the Executive Regulations of the Special
Economic Zones and Free Zones Law under Resolution No. 81/2026, complementing
the law issued by Royal Decree No. 38/2025, enhances the attractiveness of the
investment environment by regulating and simplifying investment and licensing
procedures, developing one-stop station services, digital integration with
competent entities, and request governance.
He
pointed out that the regulations organize investment benefits, incentives,
exemptions, and facilities, while specifying criteria for strategic projects
and the possibility of granting them single approval and additional incentives
in accordance with prescribed rules and approvals, supporting the attraction of
qualitative projects with in-country value for the national economy.
He
added that OPAZ and Madayn, in its capacity as the operator of the zone,
continue to work on enhancing Al Mazyunah’s competitiveness and providing
stimulating facilities for establishing projects, highlighting incentives
announced in the previous forum, most notably reducing rental value for new
investment projects by 50 percent, alongside developing services and
facilities, and conducting marketing campaigns to attract investments and
diversify economic activities.
Regarding
customs and logistics, the Director General of Al Mazyunah Free Zone indicated
that coordination with the Directorate General of Customs resulted in
understandings regarding the activation of the sovereign gate of Al Mazyunah
Free Zone, and working to complete associated technical, operational, and
regulatory requirements. He stressed that this step prepares necessary
requirements to activate the green lane for transporting goods from Omani ports
to the zone, contributing to accelerating customs procedures, improving truck
movement flow, and reducing time and operational costs for transport and
clearance operations.
During
the forum, a visual presentation was delivered on Al Mazyunah Free Zone’s
assets and its investment and trade indicators, which demonstrated that total
investments in the zone reached approximately RO 141 million by the end of the
first half of 2026, while the number of active contracts reached 135 contracts
distributed across industrial, service, and commercial sectors.
The
presentation indicated that the value of outgoing goods reached approximately RO
170.6 million, with a volume of nearly 393.8 thousand tons, while the value of
incoming goods reached approximately RO 340.4 million, with a volume of nearly
386.1 thousand tons. The zone also recorded the entry of 10,278 vehicles with a
total value of approximately RO 86.7 million.
The
presentation covered available investment incentives and enablers, including
100 percent foreign ownership, administrative facilities, competitive rents,
alongside road, electricity, water, sewage, and fiber-optic telecommunication networks,
the Services and Facilities Building operating under the one-stop station
system, the security system, and the accredited land port for commercial
operations and goods transit.
It
also reviewed 10 investment opportunities, ranging in area between 2,000 and
5,000 square meters each, in activities including food refrigeration and
freezing, food and metal industries, aluminum assembly and manufacturing, motor
oils, packaged food products, and building materials.
The
exhibition accompanying the forum continues its activities with the
participation of several institutions and companies operating in industrial,
commercial, and service sectors, enabling direct meetings between business
owners and investors to promote products, explore cooperation opportunities,
and reinforce Al Mazyunah Free Zone’s role as a gateway for business and trade
with neighboring markets.
—Ends/AG
