Oman: Mazoon Dairy begins main construction of OMR100mn plant
Oman-based Mazoon Dairy laid the foundation stone and began the main construction works for its flagship OMR100mn dairy project in Al Sunayah in the Sultanate.
Omans Minister of Agriculture, HE Fuad bin Jaafar Al Sajwani, presided over a foundation stone ceremony for the dairy project. He was joined by the members of the board and the senior management of Mazoon Dairy, senior dignitaries of the Wilayat of Buraimi, and the main contractor Al Adrak Trading and Contracting at the event.
The milestone marks the most important step yet in the development of one of the Sultanates biggest-ever food manufacturing projects that is an important goal in the nations drive towards self-sufficiency in food production.
The groundbreaking dairy project is backed by the Oman Food Investment Company, government pension, and investment funds. Once completed in 2018, the Mazoon Dairy project will have wide-ranging positive impact in helping enhance the health of the nation, create hundreds of jobs for Omanis, and be a stimulus for economic growth in the Buraimi area.
Commenting at the event, HE Sajwani said: This is an eagerly anticipated milestone event for the food sector in Oman and is a major part of our continuing drive towards enhanced food security and growing self-sufficiency in domestic production. When it opens, Mazoon Dairy will help the Sultanate to become a truly world-class centre of
excellence for the dairy manufacturing industry that reflects the Pride of Oman.
Starting from an initial workforce of 400, it is anticipated that within a decade Mazoon Dairy will employ 2,300 staff with an estimated 70% of these skilled jobs occupied by Omanis. Dr Arjun Subramanian, general manager projects at Mazoon Dairy Company, said: The ceremony has also given us the opportunity to show our stakeholders at a
national and local level the progress already made in developing the project. By hosting so many dignitaries on site, we have been able to demonstrate the size and scale of this outstanding project that will help to set a new benchmark in the production and export of high-quality dairy and juice products.
The event comes just a few weeks after Al Adrak Trading and Contracting was announced as the main contractor for construction work with the award of an OMR27.9mn contract. Initially, the facility will house 4,000 Holstein-Friesian cows and grow to 25,000 by 2026 and produce 200mn litres of milk.
By then, it is planned that dairy imports to Oman would fall to nearly 10% from the present 70% and Mazoon Dairy will also be exporting its high-quality dairy products to regional GCC markets.
