Oman's Sohar Industrial Estate investments exceed $5bln.

Sohar Industrial Estate organised recently a meeting to brief companies and factories on the new investment regulations of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE) and Masar Investment Window.

The meeting, which was held under the auspices of Hilal bin Hamad al Hasani, Chief Executive Officer of PEIE, also discussed the challenges facing the investors in the current stage. There are more than 315 projects in Sohar Industrial Estate, which are providing more than 16,000 jobs.

Besides, the investment volume in the estate has surpassed RO 2 billion, Al Hasani pointed out, adding: The area of the estate has touched up to 30 million square metres. These are positive indicators that the estate is enjoying a good investment climate.

Al Hasani affirmed that PEIE shall continue to provide services and facilities for the investors and industrialists as this meeting is only part of the efforts undertaken by PEIE to identify current challenges facing them and make efforts to overcome them.

He added that this meeting offers a good opportunity to introduce the upcoming initiatives of PEIE and the initiatives that will be launched next year, including Masar Investment Window. Masar aims at integrating the services provided by PEIE to the investors directly as well as the services provided by other government bodies through one governmental platform for data exchange and completion of procedures.

Speaking at the event, Abdulqadir al Balushi, Director-General of Sohar Industrial Estate, explained that PEIE has been providing basic services and improving the existing services in order to provide an investment environment suitable for the investors and industrialists.

Currently, the infrastructure in the estates seventh phase is being executed, which covers an area of 8.8 million square metres and includes internal roads, extension of water networks, drainage, irrigation and rainwater protection works. The completion rate in this project has touched around 70 per cent.

Besides, PEIE is currently preparing for the project of completing services for the third to sixth phases as the projects tender shall be announced before the end of this year, Al Balushi pointed out.

He added that PEIE, represented by Sohar Industrial Estate, continuously seeks to provide various services to the investors. PEIE has established an integrated township for the workers and engineers with a capacity of 4,000 employees. The project offers furnished residential units with reasonable prices for companies. Furthermore, the facility building in the estate will be inaugurated before the end of the current year, which will include supporting services such as Masar Investment Window, restaurants and offices for rent.

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