The total investments in Oman's industrial estates grew by two per cent to hit RO4.5 billion ($11.6 billion) in 2013 when compared to RO4.38 billion the year before, according to a top official.

The local investments, said the official, represented 51 per cent of the total investments valued at RO2.28 billion, compared to 14 per cent (RO626 million) for Gulf investments, and 35 per cent (RO1.56 billion) for foreign investments, stated Hilal bin Hamad Al Hasani, the CEO of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE).

The total number of projects hosted at the industrial estates now stands at 1,360, involving investments worth RO4.5 billion, noted Al Hasani, while speaking at a ceremony to mark the Omani Industry Day today (February 9).

He pointed out that the number of employees in the estate have grown to more than 35,000, of which 13,793 are Omani nationals, he added.

On last year's achievements, Al Hasani said the PEIE managed to attract 109 projects to achieve a remarkable growth rate of nine per cent, taking the number of total projects at the industrial areas to 1,240 by the end of 2013 from 1,133 the year before.

"In 2013 alone, 35 projects became operational, taking the number of existing projects at the industrial estates to 629 as of 2013 end, compared to 594 the previous year. The number of projects under construction at the end of 2013 was 201, compared to 184 at the end of 2012, registering a growth of nine per cent," he noted.

According to him, the leased land amounted to 1,050 sq m, representing a growth of four per cent. The total leased spaces were spread over 27,364 sq m at the end of 2013, compared to 26,314 sq m at the end of 2012, he added.

On the new employees who joined in 2013, Al Hasani said their number touched 2,257, thus jacking up the total workers' number to 34,153 by the end of 2013, compared to 31,896 the previous year.

Al Hasani pointed out that the manpower working in the projects hosted by the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM) rose to 2050 posting a growth rate of 16 per cent compared to 1,761 in 2012. The Omanisation in all the industrial estates and KOM reached 39 per cent, he added.

"The major infra and supra structure projects that were offered in 2013 included the development of Sumail Industrial Estate, the first project to be developed in the Sultanate in a single stage. The PEIE also floated a tender for the development of the seventh stage of Sohar Industrial Estate with an area of about eight million square metres," he noted.

Al Hasani said in 2013 the PEIE also completed the technical and consultancy studies for implementing packages of certain projects in Rusayl Industrial Estate. These included re-development of the area and expanding it by 3.5 million sq m.

"The PEIE also started to prepare for the expansion of Nizwa Industrial Estate by adding more than 900,000 sq m. Almost 90 per cent of Raysut Industrial Estate expansion development has been completed," he said.

As for KOM, he pointed out that 95 per cent of the service building has been completed and it is expected to become operational in the first half of 2014.

By the end of 2013, the number of projects at the KOM stood at 133, an increase of 12 projects or 10 per cent growth, 121 projects at the end of 2012, said the official.

"As much as 65 per cent of Al Mazyounah Free Zone has been completed and the tender for the second package to develop the zone is ready to be floated by the Tender Board during the first quarter of this year," he added.-TradeArabia News Service