Duqm: The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) – one of the areas supervised by the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) – is ready to receive investments in various sectors. The zone has advanced infrastructure and all services and facilities.
The zone has a high-level infrastructure. It includes an international airport and a multi-purpose port consisting of 3 main berths that meet the needs of industrial, commercial, logistical and oil derivatives projects in the zone, in addition to building a modern network of roads linking it to various investment areas.
SEZAD enjoys a set of comparative and competitive advantages that qualify it to become a regional maritime transport station and a logistics supply gateway to the Gulf region. It is located on the Arabian Sea, open to the Indian Ocean, which gave it a strategic advantage by being located on international shipping lines between East and West and close to consumer markets in Asia and Africa.
The zone is characterized by th
e presence of large fish wealth, its proximity to oil and gas production areas, and many minerals that can be exploited in establishing industrial projects. All these features qualifie SEZAD to be an integrated industrial base for converting industries that are based on natural raw materials available in the Governorate of Al Wusta.
The zone is also characterized by the availability of wind and solar energy throughout the year. This enables the zone to achieve success in renewable energy projects and green industries.
The Duqm Refinery, which commenced operation in 2023, is one of the most prominent large industrial projects in the zone. It is a major catalyst for the establishment of a variety of industrial projects based on the refinery’s products.
The most important opportunities for investment sectors available in the SEZAD are the establishment of refineries, oil storage and refining, heavy and petrochemical industries, medium and light industries, warehousing and logistics services, tourism investmen
t, the establishment of hotels and tourist resorts, the provision of health and treatment services, the establishment of hospitals and health centres, private schools, training institutes and university colleges, investment in the commercial sector and the establishment of commercial complexes and sports facilities, investment in the mining sector, fishery and food industries, real estate development, artificial intelligence, and drone experiments, for which an area of 18 square kilometers has been allocated, and clean energy, green hydrogen and ammonia, for which an area of 250 square kilometers has been allocated.
The zone provides a set of benefits, incentives and exemptions, including exemption from income tax and customs tax for goods imported from outside the Sultanate of Oman and goods exported from the zone abroad, state lands usufruct in the zone, and facilitating the provision of all necessary services for projects through the one-stop shop.
Additionally, the most prominent existing projects in th
e zone are the Port of Duqm, the dry dock for ship repair, the fishing port (multi-purpose), the fish and food industries complex, Duqm Airport, the Duqm Refinery, the Ras Markaz crude oil storage terminal, the integrated electricity and water station, the sebacic acid production refinery, and KarwaMotors, the Vulcan Green Steel Factory, Hyport Duqm, the Duqm HongTong Piping Factory specializing in the production of non-metallic pipes made of reinforced polyethylene plastics, and the Al Nahda Village in Duqm (Laborers Village).
The zone also includes a number of hotel establishments, including: Crowne Plaza Duqm Hotel and Park Inn Hotel and Resort Duqm, in addition to a number of 3-star, two-star and one-star hotels, and a number of guesthouses.
Source: Oman News Agency