Nizwa Dates Industrial Complex Inaugurated

Nizwa Dates Complex Boosts Agricultural Value Chains

Nizwa:  Oman Agriculture Development Company, a subsidiary of Oman Food Investments, today inaugurated the Nizwa Dates Industrial Complex, a strategic project that reflects the company’s investment approach with direct economic and social impact and contributes to the development of Omani date processing industries in line with best practices and industrial standards.

The inauguration ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, Chairman of the Oman Investment Authority (OIA). The project comes within the framework of the Authority’s directives to transform national resources into high value-added products and maximise returns from integrated value chains through investment in priority sectors.

The Nizwa Dates Industrial Complex is built on a total area of approximately 35,000 square metres and has a current annual production capacity of up to 30,000 tonnes, in addition to a storage capacity of 30,000 pallets using various storage methods, including frozen, chilled, and dry storage.

The complex includes processing halls covering an area of around 18,000 square metres, encompassing all post-harvest operations from receiving, weighing, sterilising, and storing dates, to sorting, packaging, and downstream processing industries. These operations are conducted in accordance with the highest quality and food safety standards. The complex has also obtained several international quality certifications and adopts environmentally friendly solutions, including the use of solar energy and water recycling systems.

His Excellency Munir bin Ali Al Muniri, Vice President for Operations at the Oman Investment Authority and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Oman Food Investments, said that the Nizwa Dates Industrial Complex represents a model of national investments focused on impact. He noted that the project reflects the Authority’s direction towards developing agricultural value chains and transitioning from supporting primary production to maximising returns from agricultural products, thereby enhancing food security and creating sustainable value for the national economy.

Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Rashdi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Food Investments, stated that the launch of the complex aligns with the portfolio’s commitment to supporting strategic, high-impact projects. He added that investment in agricultural value chains, particularly the date sector, is a key pillar in strengthening food security and opening new opportunities for food industries based on Omani agricultural products.

The Nizwa Dates Industrial Complex serves as an integrated platform for the dates sector, featuring specialised facilities for sorting, processing, packaging, and storage, in addition to an integrated weighing and shipping station. This positions the complex as a central hub for receiving dates and agricultural products from farmers, enhancing sector sustainability, creating economic opportunities for farmers, producers, and entrepreneurs, and supporting the development of value-added date-based food industries.

For his part, Ali bin Saeed Al Araimi, Chief Executive Officer of Oman Agriculture Development Company, said that the project reflects the company’s commitment to developing quality initiatives that support economic diversification and empower local production. He explained that the complex adopts an operational model based on partnership with farmers, noting that around 50 percent of the dates used in its operations are currently sourced from local farmers. This contributes to organised marketing of national products, improved post-harvest efficiency, income stability for farmers, and enhanced quality of Omani dates.

Oman Agriculture Development Company, a subsidiary of Oman Food Investments, specialises in developing and implementing strategic agricultural and food projects that contribute to strengthening food security and advancing agricultural value chains in the Sultanate of Oman.