Oman’s gypsum exports are projected to surpass 10 million tonnes per annum in 2018, up from 5.85 million tonnes at the end of 2015, a major increase which will position the sultanate as a global supplier, said a report.

The country’s growing reputation as an exporter of gypsum - a basic raw material for cement and gypsum board manufacturing - comes against a backdrop of soaring demand from a number of Asian, African and Far Eastern nations, according to the Oman Daily Observer.

The sultanate is on track to being crowned as the world’s largest exporter of gypsum by 2018 on the back of surging output that highlights the potential of the sultanate’s mining sector to fuel the nation’s long-term economic development, it stated.

The export projections are ground-breaking for Oman’s mining sector, Ramachandran, director of Oman-based USG Boral Zawawi joint venture, a major producer and exporter of Omani gypsum, was quoted as saying in the report.

These gypsum exports have the potential to drive the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth through non-oil exports, create employment opportunities, enhance revenue growth for the government through royalties, and as well as to ports and the future railway network, he added.