Northeast. Mining promotes mineral wealth investment and supports economic diversification

The story in brief

Oman: The mining sector in the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate is witnessing continuous development in exploration and investment in mineral resources, benefiting from the diversity of the governorate’s geological components and its abundance of promising mineral ores, within the framework of a trend aimed at maximizing added value, enhancing local content, and linking the sector with manufacturing industries. Ali bin Abdullah Al Hamouda, Director of the Minerals Department in the North Al Sharqiyah and South Al Sharqiyah Governorates, said in an interview with the Oman News Agency: The sector’s indicators indicate the presence of 34 A mining license in the governorate covers various ores, including copper, chromium, manganese, laterite, marble, and building materials, while mining revenues amounted to about 1.6 million Omani riyals in 2025, in addition to community contributions amounting to about 263,897 Omani riyals. He added that the Al-Washhi mine project - Al-Mujazah Copper Mine in the Wilayat of Al-Mudhaibi is one of the most prominent mining projects in the governorate, as the geological reserve of the project is estimated at about 16.1 million. tons with a purity of 0.87 percent, and aims to produce about 35 thousand tons annually of copper center ore, which enhances the governorate’s presence in the copper sector and supports opportunities to develop related industries. He pointed out that the year 2026 witnessed an important development represented by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals signing a mining concession agreement with the Majan Manganese Company for concession area No. (25B) in the governorate, to explore manganese ores and associated minerals. He explained that the concession area covers about 747 square kilometers, while the first phase of the exploration program, which extends from two to three years, includes: Implementing topographical, geochemical and geophysical surveys, preparing geological maps, in addition to excavation and trenching works, with investments exceeding 4 million Omani riyals. He added that this agreement comes within the framework of efforts aimed at expanding the scope of mineral exploration in the governorate, attracting investments and technical expertise, and enhancing knowledge of mineral resources in preparation for their development and economic investment. The Director of the Minerals Department in the North Al Sharqiyah and South Al Sharqiyah Governorates explained that the North Al Sharqiyah Governorate continues to benefit from Investment opportunities in other ores, including copper, chromium, nickel, laterite, gold, manganese, marble, basalt and gabbro, which enhances the diversity of the mining base and opens the way for new projects in the stages of exploration, development and production. He indicated that the sector is increasingly moving towards maximizing the added value of mineral resources, by linking exploration and extraction activities with manufacturing industries, which raises the economic return from local raw materials, and enhances the opportunities for small and medium enterprises in the fields of transportation, logistics services, drilling, maintenance, contracting and services. He pointed out that this trend is evident in linking chromium, copper and manganese ores to existing industries in the Sultanate of Oman, which supports the building of local value chains and limits the confinement to extracting and marketing the raw material in its primary form. He explained that the concession agreement for the D-22 area in North Al Sharqiyah provides an example of this trend, as it granted Altman Andesel Ferrochrome the right to explore and mine copper and chromium ores in the region. The Ministry signed another agreement in Area B-22 with Al Haditha Mining Company to explore for copper ore, in addition to offering investment opportunities to explore manganese, nickel, laterite, copper, gold, chromium, basalt and gabbro ores. The Director of the Minerals Department in North Al Sharqiyah and South Al Sharqiyah Governorates added that the concession agreement for Concession Area No. (21), signed with Fursan Al Khaleej Mining and Trading Company, covers an area of about 1,444 km. A square to explore and extract nickel, cobalt and iron oxide from laterite ore, with investments ranging between 25 and 30 million US dollars during the exploration phase, which supports industries related to strategic minerals and clean energy. He stressed that mining activities also contribute to enhancing local development by providing job opportunities, training and community contributions, in addition to activating the economic and service sectors associated with mining operations, thus expanding the economic impact of the sector on local communities. He pointed out that with the continuation of exploration work The development of existing projects and the creation of new investment opportunities, North-Eastern Province is moving to consolidate its position within promising areas of the mining sector of the Sultanate of Oman, benefiting from its mineral resources and geological diversity. This is consistent with the goals of the vision of Oman 2040 in economic diversification and the promotion of investment in natural resources and manufacturing industries, making mining one of the streams supporting sustainable economic growth and raising the local value of mineral wealth.

Detailed summary

Background & context

This story sits within Oman's broader reform agenda and efforts to grow Energy & Renewables as a pillar of non-oil GDP. The region benefits from supportive energy prices, expansionary government budgets, and rising interest from sovereign wealth funds and foreign investors.

GCC angle

For the rest of the GCC, this is a signal on the pace of activity in Energy & Renewables, Logistics & Shipping, Mining & Metals. Capital flows and regulatory decisions in one Gulf state typically travel across borders given the similar economic structures and the coordination inside the GCC framework.

Risks & uncertainty

There is uncertainty around the read-through: projections can be moved by swings in oil prices, by US monetary policy tightening that most GCC central banks track via dollar pegs, and by regional geopolitical events. Headline numbers may also be revised when subsequent official data is published.

What happens next?

Watch for upcoming disclosures from listed names in Energy & Renewables, Logistics & Shipping, official macro releases for Oman, and any commentary from regulators or sovereign wealth funds. Tharwa will refresh this briefing as new public information becomes available.