3/10/2012 10:18:00 AM
Bahraini investors and businessmen hailed the excellent investment environment provided by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE). This was marked at the "Invest in the Sultanate of Oman" Symposium held yesterday (Tuesday) in Bahrain and organized by PEIE in collaboration with the Sultanate's Embassy in the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB).
The event was attended by HE Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Amri, the Sultanate's Ambassador to Bahrain, and Hilal bin Hamad Al Ahsani, CEO of (PEIE).
Addressing the audience, Al Amri emphasized the depth of relations between the Sultanate and the Kingdom of Bahrain and the development of these relations in various fields. "Thanks to the patronage of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said and His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain," he noted.
Al Amri added that the main purpose of the symposium is to promote the development and prospects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and strengthen ties to wider horizons of cooperation in different areas. He added that the symposium is one way to support the positive joint efforts between the two sides so as to strengthen and increase cooperation and partnership between the business sectors in both countries. "Organizing such events is an active step towards creating harmonizing economic partnership between the business sectors in the two countries," Al Amri pointed out.
"It is a true privilege to organize a symposium in the Capital of Bahrain, Manama, to meet elite of businessmen and industrialists to inform them of the investment opportunities available in the Sultanate of Oman," Hilal bin Hamad Al Ahsani noted, adding: "This symposium comes as an initiative of the Omani Embassy in Bahrain in line with the investment growth witnessed by the Sultanate's various economic estates."
Highlighting the remarkable efforts undertaken by PEIE, Al Ahsani commented: "The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates manages and supervises more than 71 million square meters of industrial estates, in addition to new three estates under study with an area of more than 16 million square meters. Therefore, we are managing nine industrial estates namely; Rusayl, Sohar, Nizwa, Sur, Al Buraimi, Raysut, Sumail, Ibri and Musandam. It should be noted that the volume of the national, Arab and foreign investments has touched more than 10 billion U.S. dollars."
Papers
A number of papers were presented by senior officials from PEIE, Special Economic Zone Authority in Duqm, Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (PAIPED) and the free zones in Salalah, Sohar, Al Mazunah, Sohar Industrial Port and Golden Hala Company.
While throwing light on PEIE's role in providing an excellent economic and investment climate in the Sultanate in general and in the economic and industrial zones in particular, Bassim bin Ali Al Nassri, Director General of Marketing and Media at PEIE, said: "At PEIE, we work towards achieving certain objectives which include implementing informative programs at the national and regional levels in order to introduce the organization, its activities and the vital role it plays in serving the business community; implementing promotion programs on the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates with an attempt to convey our mission and objectives to the business community, which is known as the investment incubator; implementing marketing programs to highlight the various investment opportunities available in the economic areas, which are being supervised by PEIE; designing and implementing awareness campaigns to promote the Omani product and further advance the competitiveness of the product in the local markets."
Speaking about Al Mazunah Free Zone, Said bin Ali Al Mashani, Director General, Raysut Industrial Estate and Al Mazunah Free Zone, said: "Al Mazunah Free Zone offers a distinguished commercial and investment dimension, where it can be deemed a worldwide investment gate for Yemen and Oman, especially with the great investment facilities offered by the Sultanate to the non-Omani investors."
Al Mashani said, "Al Mazunah project offers a wide range of investment opportunities that start with launching the work in the project, develop with the progress of the work therein and increase with every accomplished utility and every run service. These investment opportunities are divided into the commercial sector, light industrial sector and assistant services sector."
Haura Al Wahaibi, economic researcher at Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Export Development (PAIPED), briefed the audience on the role played by PAIPED in creating opportunities through the promotion of investment projects in Oman, and developing non-oil domestic exports.
Saleh Hamood Al Hasani, investor relation in Duqm (SEZ) Authority, stressed on the significance of the strategic location of Duqm Special Economic Zone, which offers an opportunity to be close to the Asian and GCC markets, with the availability of large spaces of lands. "The national objectives of Duqm Special Economic Zone include developing the Wusta governorate, offering new opportunities for the national workforce, diversifying income sources, and resettling modern techniques in the business management through foreign investments," Al Hasani said.
A presentation on Port & Free Zone Sohar was delivered by Faisal Al Balushi from Sohar Free Zone, who underlined the expansion of the Port of Sohar and investment opportunities in the Free Zone which will further put emphasis on the industrial port's prominence as a driver of economic growth in the Batinah region. Another presentation on Shumookh Investment & Services SAOC, the investment Arm of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, was delivered by Engineer Musallam Al Hudaifi, Director General of Shumookh Investment & Services SAOC. Shumookh is an Omani closed shareholding company, incorporated in 2010 in an initiative from the Public Establishment for industrial Estates and as an investment arm, for encouraging and development of investments and projects infrastructure in the industrial Estates in Oman.
A presentation highlighting Salalah Free Zone was presented by Matthew Greks, advisor at Salalah Free Zone, who highlighted Salalah as a global hub, attracting major shipping lines and within reach of large major markets. "Salalah Free Zone offers a comprehensive ecosystem to meet the needs of companies in distribution, material processing, and assembly," the speaker stressed.