An Oman-based major distribution facility for building materials, which is among 10 projects planned by Chinese firms in Duqm, will be ready by the middle of 2019, according to a top-level official at Oman Wanfang.

The building material distribution centre, which is coming up in an area of 500,000 sq m, is being developed by Ningxia Ningqiao Commercial Investment and Operation Ltd. with an estimated investment of $46 million, added the Times of Oman report.

The Chinese company had signed a land lease agreement with Oman Wanfang in April this year for establishing the facility, it said.

Ali Shah, chairman of Oman Wanfang, said that the company do not have a very big building material distribution in the region. And the Duqm facility will support the regional development.

He added that the build material will be imported from China and other countries, and also noted that Duqm, which is also developing, requires a lot of building materials.

Shah stated that the proposed building material distribution centre will provide everything (for the construction sector), from steel bar to furniture.

He said the detailed design for the project is going on now. The work on building the facility will start by the end of the year and it will take one-and-a-half years to complete the facility.