Monday 02 / November / 2026
Al Mazyunah: 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 approximatelyOMR 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 OMR170.6 million, with a volume of nearly 393.8 thousand tons, while the value of incoming goods reached approximately OMR 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 OMR 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 neighbouring markets.
