Consultancy
Tender Floated for Master Plan of Mining Cluster in Shaleem & Halaniyat
Islands

Muscat,
16 Jun (ONA) —- The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free
Zones (OPAZ) has announced the tender for consultancy services to prepare the
master plan, detailed design, and supervision for the first phase of the
integrated mining economic cluster project in the Wilayat of Shaleem & Halaniyat
islands in Dhofar Governorate.

The
Authority has invited specialized consultancy offices, registered with the
Secretariat General of the Tender Board in the excellent and first categories,
to submit their proposals. The deadline for purchasing the tender documents is
set for 25 June, while the final date for submitting bids is 9 July.

The
Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free
Zones reviewed, during its third meeting in 2024, the executive procedures for
the results of the Ministry of Economy’s study on establishing integrated
industrial clusters in the Shaleem industrial minerals area, cooling chains and
food industries in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), aluminum-based
industries in the Sohar Free Zone, and linking these industrial clusters to the
industrial strategy.

The
integrated mining economic cluster in Shaleem & Halaniyat islands is
distinguished by its location along regional maritime trade routes, and its
wealth of natural resources such as minerals, fishery resources, and renewable
energy sources, in addition to several tourism assets and oil and gas
concessions.

The
cluster, overseen by the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn),
will stimulate investment in the mining sector and its related industries,
enhancing added value and supporting other sectors such as logistics, energy,
food security, and tourism. The cluster aims to drive economic growth across
various sectors, strengthen interconnections between economic sectors, expand
the production and export base, and enable the sector to increase its
contribution to the GDP.

Shaleem
& Halaniyat Islands are promising mineral areas, distinguished by their
strategic geographic location overlooking regional maritime corridors and their
rich geological content, including gypsum, limestone, and dolomite ores.

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Ends/AH