Arab News | Oman’s Duqm SEZ investment rises 141% since 2021

RIYADH: Committed cumulative investment in Oman’s Duqm Special Economic Zone rose 141 percent from 2021 to the end of June, reaching 8.81 billion Omani rials ($22.9 billion), reflecting stronger investor activity.

In a statement to the Oman News Agency, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, or OPAZ, said the rise reflects the improved investment environment in the Duqm SEZ over the past five years, the development of the zone’s infrastructure, and efforts to attract investment, alongside the incentives and facilities offered to investors.

The investment commitments build on a broader expansion of Duqm’s industrial base. In June, OPAZ signed agreements and memorandums of cooperation worth $7.5 billion with investors from Asia, Europe and the Middle East, covering clean energy, electric mobility, and industrial supply chains, tourism, as well as construction and power infrastructure.

Clean energy, particularly green hydrogen, is emerging as a major component of Duqm’s longer-term investment pipeline, with projects in the zone expected to produce between 1 million and 1.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, supported by around 30 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity and cumulative investment of about $49 billion, according to the Duqm SEZ’s April 2026 quarterly magazine.

Infrastructure growth

The newly released ONA statement said that Al Yousef noted that “the Port of Duqm recorded growth in handling volumes for containers, roll-on/roll-off cargo, oil and gas field pipes, and various goods required for projects under implementation in the zone.”

He added that “the Duqm Refinery has successfully raised its production capacity to 255,000 barrels per day, while the Drydock has completed approximately 1,340 projects between 2020 and the end of last year.”

Duqm broadens development beyond industry

Al Yousef emphasized that OPAZ is working to establish various other projects within the Duqm SEZ, in alignment with Oman’s plans for carbon neutrality and efforts to develop the green hydrogen sector.

He clarified that the Duqm SEZ is also attracting projects in the tourism, commercial, and logistics sectors. The zone is also working to facilitate workforce stability by attracting educational and healthcare projects.

The OPAZ chairman highlighted that Duqm University College, which is launching its first academic year, represents a significant qualitative addition to the region’s education sector.

The zone has also focused on expanding health and medical services in cooperation with the private sector, he explained.