Stone for $350m sugar refinery

SUHAR: Groundbreaking ceremony for a sugar refinery was held at Suhar Port in North Al Batinah Governorate under the auspices of Dr Ali bin Masoud al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry.

The ceremony was attended by Shaikh Muhanna bin Saif al Lamki, Governor of North Al Batinah, and a number of businessmen.

The factory will be constructed on a 188,000 sq metre land at an approximate cost of $350 million. With European production lines and utilisation of the latest sugar refining technologies, the plant is expected to produce 1 million tonnes of sugar annually for export and local consumption.

The plant will provide job opportunities for Omani youth starting with a 30 per cent Omanisation target, which will reach 90 per cent in 10 years.

Speaking at the event, Mark Geilenkirchen, the CEO of Sohar Port, explained the strategy adopted by the port management to boost food industries and attract investments from both public and private sectors.

Nasser al Hosni, General Manager of Oman Sugar Refining Company, said this is the first plant of its kind in the Sultanate, and it will contribute in providing job opportunities in related industries in the port and the free zone, while boosting food security. He added that the management will target to generate job opportunities for Omani nationals as well as enhance sustainable development of the national economy.