By Manal Abdel Fattah
The Najd region in Dhofar Governorate is one of the most promising locations to contribute to food security. Due to its natural resources, represented by the availability of vast, flat lands and water, the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources aims to plan an arable area that covers a total area of more than (24,200) square kilometers, and is counting on developing the area and managing it in an innovative and modern way to become the food basket of the Sultanate. Oman.
In line with the government directives of the Najd region and in view of the experience possessed by the Japanese company JICA, one of JICA’s senior advisors for agriculture and food security, Hiroshi Hiraoka, and his accompanying delegation, visited the Najd region to see the region with all its components and the successful experiences applied on the ground, and to learn about investment plans and outlets.
Marketing that may form a link with the Najd region, the water source, and food security companies, with the aim of cooperating in developing the best scenarios for establishing an agricultural economic city in the Najd region in Dhofar Governorate, and submitting a master plan study for the region according to a timetable from January 21 to February 2, 2024.
The visit included several places, including: Khazaen Economic City, the Food Quality and Safety Center, and a number of existing companies in the Najd region, including Al-Bashaer Red Meat Company, Al-Saffa Poultry, Oman Palm Development Company, Al-Najd Agricultural Development Company) and a number of existing projects.
The food security sector is considered one of the vital and important sectors in the Sultanate of Oman, as the Ministry of Agricultural Wealth, Fisheries and Water Resources is managing a strategic program for a number of projects with an investment value exceeding one billion Omani riyals, which aim to secure the Sultanate’s food, raise self-sufficiency rates in basic products, and maximize added value.
