Monday 13 / October / 2025
Muscat: Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) held the first introductory meeting for the second edition of the Suhar Investment Forum 2026, scheduled to take place from 4–5 February 2026 in the Wilayat of Suhar, under the theme ‘Suhar Industrial Investment Destination.’
The meeting was attended by H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Abdullah Al Rawas, Chairman of the Board of Directors at OCCI, a number of ambassadors from friendly countries, representatives of embassies, government and private entities, members of the Board of Directors at Oman Chamber, as well as business owners and investors. The event took place at the OCCI headquarters in Muscat Governorate
The meeting forms part of the preparatory efforts led by the OCCI North Al Batinah branch to launch the second edition of the forum, reaffirming OCCI’s commitment to strengthening Oman’s position as a leading investment destination and highlighting the central role of North Al Batinah, particularly Suhar, in driving industrial transformation and sustainable economic growth in line with Oman Vision 2040.
The forum aims to serve as an integrated economic and investment platform combining a conference, exhibition, and B2B meetings, thereby fostering public–private partnerships and exploring new opportunities in promising industrial sectors that reinforce Oman’s position in regional and global value chains.
Al Rawas stated that the forum comes within Oman Chamber’s ongoing efforts to enhance Oman’s appeal as a regional and international investment destination and to spotlight the economic potential across the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman, particularly North Al Batinah, with its strategic location, advanced infrastructure, industrial cities and promising logistics advantages.
He added that Oman Chamber places great emphasis on attracting high-quality investments that support economic diversification, in line with its strategic direction to improve the business environment, expand the diversification base and contribute to the economic development of the governorates.
Al Rawas highlighted that Oman Chamber adopts an approach centred on empowering the Omani private sector as an active partner in development, by enhancing competitiveness, facilitating access to regional and international markets, and encouraging entrepreneurship and investment in promising sectors such as industry, logistics, renewable energy, tourism and modern technologies.
During the meeting, Eng. Said bin Ali Al Abri, Board Member at OCCI, Chairman of OCCI North Al Batinah branch and Head of the Forum’s Organising Committee, delivered a presentation outlining the goals and main themes of the forum. He highlighted the key sectors of focus for the upcoming edition, including the industrial sector and its supporting industries such as heavy manufacturing, iron, aluminium, plastics, as well as high-value food and medical industries.
He also shed light on the ongoing coordination with government entities to identify ready-to-offer investment opportunities that will be showcased during the forum. Eng. Al Abri noted that this introductory meeting marks the actual start of the promotional phase for Suhar Investment Forum 2026, aiming to engage investors and institutions early in the preparation stage and create an interactive environment that encourages active participation.
“The forum’s theme reflects the national direction towards building an advanced industrial ecosystem founded on innovation, modern technologies, and sustainability, integrated with regional and global supply chains. A number of strategic investment projects will be presented during the forum in cooperation with relevant authorities, further enhancing Oman’s competitiveness within global industrial value chains,” he added.
It is worth noting that the first edition of the forum, held in 2024, achieved remarkable success by attracting more than 800 participants and visitors to the accompanying exhibition, presenting 104 investment opportunities worth over OMR 1 billion, and signing 14 cooperation agreements with a total value over OMR 115 million. The event served as an effective platform bringing together local and international investors and reinforcing North Al Batinah’s position as a hub for advanced industries.
Building on this success, the second edition will be held at Majan Hall in Suhar, with broad participation from government institutions, private-sector entities, and investors from the Sultanate of Oman and abroad. The forum will feature a rich programme of discussion sessions, interactive presentations, workshops, and a specialised exhibition showcasing the latest developments in industry, technology, and sustainability.
The introductory meeting also included a panel discussion addressing key themes related to preparations for the upcoming edition. The discussion covered the nature of projects announced during the previous edition, as well as new investment opportunities to be presented this year, with a focus on the industrial sector as one of the most promising in the region.
Participants also reviewed efforts to address challenges encountered in the previous edition and emphasised that one of the major enhancements for the 2026 forum is the early start in preparations and intensified coordination with relevant authorities to ensure integration of efforts and achievement of the desired outcomes.
