OQ, Oman’s global investment group, has signed 11 new investment agreements under the Ladayn Polymer Park programme, backed by more than OMR 27 million ($70 million) in committed investments, bringing the programme’s total investment to OMR 85 million.

Signed on the sidelines of the 19th Annual Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) Forum in Bahrain, with a diverse set of local, regional and international polymer manufacturers, the agreements cement the commercial ecosystem that converts locally produced polymers into higher-value products.

This expands Ladayn’s portfolio, reinforces the country’s downstream industrial capabilities and signals rising regional confidence in Oman’s emerging role as a reliable, cost-competitive hub for downstream polymer manufacturing.

Developed jointly by OQ, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates “Madayn”, the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones and supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, Ladayn represents a strong public–private partnership model dedicated to stimulating value chains, attracting investment, enabling SME growth and creating skilled employment opportunities.

A key competitive driver for these investments is OQ’s secure and cost-efficient supply of locally produced polymers, primarily polyethylene and polypropylene, manufactured at the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) in Suhar.

As Oman’s flagship petrochemicals asset, LPIC transforms Omani natural gas into high-demand polymers, enabling a fully integrated domestic value chain that provides downstream manufacturers with predictable pricing, long-term feedstock stability and logistics efficiency.

The agreements, signed by Sadiq Al Lawati, Managing Director at OQ Marketing, with industrial partners, complement commitments secured over the past two years.

They expand Ladayn’s footprint as Oman’s first integrated polymer-to-product industrial platform and accelerate the country’s shift toward an advanced downstream manufacturing economy.

Ashraf Al Mamari, Group Chief Executive Officer of OQ, said: “These agreements reflect OQ’s long term investment direction as the national investment arm for the energy and related industries. Through these partnerships, we are translating national strategies into industrial projects with direct economic impact. Our targeted investments under the Ladayn programme are driving a structural transformation in Oman’s downstream manufacturing landscape. Polymers are shifting from basic industrial outputs into drivers of an integrated production ecosystem that attracts high quality investment, strengthens local content, creates sustainable employment and enables the private sector to build industries that serve both domestic demand and global markets. The programme also reinforces Oman’s position as a competitive industrial hub connected to global supply chains, in alignment with Oman Vision 2040 and national diversification priorities.”

“The programme is designed to scale the localisation of the Group’s raw materials and products, advancing industrial integration and boosting the global competitiveness of Oman’s downstream industries through added-value integrated value chains”, he added.

Dawood Al Hadabi, CEO of Madayn, said: “The signing ceremony in Bahrain reaffirms the success of the Ladayn Programme, established through a memorandum of understanding between Madayn and OQ in May 2022 within Phase Seven of Suhar Industrial City. Since then, the programme has expanded beyond Madayn’s industrial cities, demonstrating its ability to attract and localise plastics industries, strengthen economic diversification, draw investment, maximise the value of natural resources, and enable private-sector growth for both local and export markets.”

Ali Tabouk, CEO of Salalah Free Zone, added, “These agreements reaffirm Salalah Free Zone’s commitment to strengthening industrial value chains and enhancing local content. The signed projects contribute directly to boosting the competitiveness of the industrial sector, and we are proud of our partnership with OQ and the Ladayn Programme in advancing value creation for the national economy.” 

Further highlighting the collaborative model, Mundhar Al Rawahi, Ladayn Programme Head, OQ Marketing, said, “These agreements exemplify the integration between the public and private sectors. At OQ, we believe that developing the plastics manufacturing industry will enhance the efficient use of national resources, stimulate industrial innovation and contribute to economic diversification. He added that “by attracting investors with regional market ambitions, the programme continues to solidify Oman’s competitive standing with sustained year on year growth.” -OGN/TradeArabia News Service