As Oman seeks to bolster its number of direct imports amid the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the arena of food security is one in which both the Sultanate’s public and private sectors are working hand-in-hand on towards the future.
Photo credit: ONA
Oman News Agency (ONA) has offered insight into one of the country’s most large-scale upcoming projects aimed at tackling the issue. Khazaen Economic City (Khazaen), to be located in Barka, is envisioned to play a key role in driving Oman’s direct imports and boosting its food security through its vital component and anchor projects, such as the Khazaen Dry Port and the Food Cluster Project.
Oman is witnessing a steady growth in shipping and maritime traffic across its ports. The new dry port comes as an important addition to the logistics infrastructure linking the Sultanate’s sea ports to its commercial, industrial, and economic areas. Khazaen Dry Port will be Oman’s trans-shipment hub that will offer customs-bonded services and open up opportunities across the warehousing services value-chain.
Set to cover 250,000 sqm, the Khazaen Dry Port will substantially speed up the movement of containers and cargo, improve logistics services, reduce the total cost of outbound and inbound goods, provide container maintenance services, as well as services related to government clearance.
This anchor project, for which Khazaen has signed an agreement last year with Marafi to develop and operate the port along with its partners, the port is currently in its design phase with work progressing as planned, and commercial operations targeted to begin before the end of 2020.
Boosting and complementing the government’s food security plans, Khazaen is planning to accommodate a well-designed Food Cluster project. A state-of-the-art facility designed to cover an area of almost 1 million sqm., The Food Cluster will enhance the value-chain of Oman’s food industry.
Its first phase will include the new Central Fruits and Vegetables Market as an anchor project which will act as an enabler and marketplace for the food industry in Oman, along with local agricultural and food products. The new central market will be the source of fresh produce and a platform for wholesale trade, which will cater to address the increasing demand for food consumption in Oman and the region. Khazaen is in the final stages of awarding the project to a leading developer and will be announced early in the second half of this year.
Phase Two of the Food City will include related industries like food processing, packaging, canning, and preservations. Khazaen is also targeting, through its strategic location in the heart of Oman, international companies that operate across the food industry value-chain, alongside local and global investors to establish their businesses at the City and use Oman as a regional and global hub while benefiting from the well-established logistics gateways across the country.
In order to support government initiatives, Khazaen is promoting a business investment opportunity for a pre-built warehousing complex. This project will offer modern storage facilities that business owners and investors seek. The pre-built warehouses located next to Khazaen Dry Port and close to the Central Fruit and Vegetables Market will be developed over an area of up to 100,000 sqm. These facilities will also fulfill the requirements arising from the increasing activities at the Suwaiq Port, which is just 30-minute drive from Khazaen Economic City.
Khalid Awadh Al Balushi, Chief Executive Officer of Khazaen Economic City said: “Oman is witnessing overall growth, despite global challenges. The Sultanate remains a vital market for several industries, including the food industry. Growing food demands of Oman’s population require a solid shipping and logistics infrastructure to be in place and Khazaen fulfills this foresight with the Khazaen Dry Port, Food Cluster, and warehousing facilities.
These facilities complement each other in the direct imports and in maintaining food security in the Sultanate. We are proud that these infrastructural components, along with associated services offered, are contributing to the overall goals of achieving food security, economic diversification, and attracting investments. Once completed, these projects will further boost Oman’s growth potential.”
Al-Balushi added: “We at Khazaen continue to develop business concepts and present them as ready investment products to investors and business owners. We will announce a number of initiatives and business concepts to the market in the coming months, and we urge all investors in the local, regional, and international markets to explore these ample opportunities at Khazaen.”
Source: ONA
(Also read: TRA to expand telecom services to 500 rural villages in Oman.)
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