Thursday 02 / April / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources highlighted, in a media briefing held on Thursday, the most prominent initiatives and projects achieved during 2025, as well as the strategic directions for the current year.
Dr. Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, stated that the Ministry's strategic objectives include managing and developing agricultural, livestock, and fisheries wealth, as well as water resources, to ensure their sustainability and their contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He added that these objectives aim to enhance the food and water security system through effective policies, regulations, legislation, and programs.
He further noted that the Ministry seeks to ensure food safety and quality in accordance with regulations and legislation and to follow up on their implementation. He emphasised that the Ministry also aims to preserve the intellectual and physical heritage and appropriate traditional practices associated with agricultural and fisheries wealth and water resources while seeking to develop them. Furthermore, the Ministry is working to increase investment opportunities in the fields of plant and animal agriculture, fisheries, and water resources, and to enhance their added value and associated services.
Al Habsi explained that the Sultanate of Oman possesses environmental and climatic diversity represented by 5.5 million acres of agricultural or reclaimable land, which accounts for 7.5 percent of the total land area. He pointed out that there are 355,000 acres of total agricultural holdings, while the cultivated area reached approximately 312,000 acres by the end of 2024.
He highlighted that the Sultanate of Oman possesses a large and diverse stock of fish and marine life, with 24 existing ports in addition to numerous fish landing sites along the coasts.
The Minister noted that the number of existing fish markets has reached 62, with 1,220 fish marketing shops and 119 existing fish factories in the Sultanate of Oman. He stated that there are 89 bottled water factories with a production capacity of 8,335.5 cubic metres per day, and 92 main water desalination plants producing 455.36 million cubic metres. Meanwhile, the number of main treated water plants reached 67, producing 119.5 million cubic metres.
Al Habsi added that the Sultanate of Oman possesses 35 food safety and quality laboratories, including 12 municipal laboratories in the governorates and 23 private laboratories. He pointed out that there are numerous investment facilities for food security projects provided by the Ministry, including the provision of land, licenses, financing facilities, exemptions, regulatory incentives, and support for modern technologies to ensure sustainable investment.
He also mentioned an investment incentive provided by the Ministry to investors through tax exemptions for several food commodities to encourage and stimulate economic growth, in addition to providing subsidised prices for food security projects, which reduces the operational costs of investment projects.
The Minister said that the number of productive projects and initiatives implemented for rural women and female agricultural entrepreneurs reached 15 projects, benefiting 2,579 individuals. This includes 1,627 beneficiaries in the project to develop rural women’s empowerment capabilities and 15 beneficiaries from the Agricultural and Fisheries Development Fund.
