Oman’s shrimp industry is set for expansion with a forthcoming $1.6 billion partnership between a key state-backed player and an international company.

Fisheries Development Oman at the Helm

Fisheries Development Oman (FDO), the investment arm of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), oversees numerous fisheries and aquaculture projects. Its subsidiaries, National Shrimp Aquaculture Co and Oriental Shrimp Aquaculture Co, operate major shrimp farms across the country.

OIA revealed in its 2023 Annual Report that it is working on a USD 1.6 billion strategic partnership in shrimp farming with a global company, highlighting the industry’s growth potential.

Significant Increase in Shrimp Harvests

In 2023, shrimp harvests by FDO subsidiaries more than doubled to 2,673 metric tons, up from 1,076 metric tons in 2022. Oriental Shrimp Aquaculture launched a 200-hectare shrimp farm in Khuwaimah, Jalan Bani Bu Ali, in 2023, with a production capacity of 3,500 metric tons per year.

National Shrimp Aquaculture opened a 500-hectare shrimp farm in Qurun, Jalan Bani Bu Hassan Wilayat, in 2022, with an annual capacity of 4,600 metric tons. In 2023, it also launched a hatchery in Barka, South Al Batinah Governorate, for shrimp seed cultivation.

Flagship Project at Al Jazer

FDO Group CEO Nabil al Salim al Bimani announced the finalization of the design for a flagship shrimp farm at Al Jazer on the Al Wusta coast, set to produce 20,000 metric tons of shrimp annually.

FDO’s affiliate Oman Pelagic recently received a high-tech commercial fishing vessel, ADAMAS, from a Spanish shipyard, following the earlier delivery of its sister ship, ACILA.