MUSCAT: Oman’s Al Mazyona Free Zone held a coordination meeting on Tuesday with import and export companies serving the Yemeni market, unveiling plans for a proposed “Open Market” initiative aimed at strengthening trade, investment and logistics links between the Sultanate and Yemen.
The meeting was chaired by His Excellency Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), and brought together representatives of companies operating in the Yemeni market to discuss the free zone’s services, investment incentives and opportunities to expand commercial activity.
The discussions also focused on challenges facing cross-border trade and ways to enhance commercial and investment cooperation between Oman and the Republic of Yemen.
Al Yousef said the meeting reflected OPAZ’s commitment to strengthening partnerships with the private sector by engaging directly with investors and companies connected to the Yemeni market. He said understanding their operational needs would help improve the business environment and enhance the competitiveness of Al Mazyona Free Zone.
Ahmed bin Khamis Al Kasbi, Director General of Al Mazyona Free Zone, said the zone’s proximity to the Yemeni border gives it a unique strategic advantage, positioning it as an ideal logistics and commercial gateway for companies involved in import and export activities with Yemen.
He said the meeting sought to encourage those companies to establish a permanent presence within the free zone, enabling them to expand their operations while benefiting from additional competitive advantages.
Al Kasbi outlined a proposal to launch an “Open Market” or permanent exhibition initiative, under which participating companies would be allocated dedicated space to consolidate, display and re-export products to Yemen and other regional markets.
He said the initiative would initially be implemented as a six-month pilot programme, allowing authorities to assess its performance and refine the model based on investor feedback and market requirements.
He added that the success of the initiative would depend on providing appropriate support and incentives for participating companies. During the meeting, officials presented a range of proposed incentives while company representatives shared their views on key challenges affecting trade with Yemen, including logistical and procedural issues.
Participants also proposed measures to improve logistics services and administrative processes, stressing the importance of continued coordination between the public and private sectors to remove trade barriers, encourage investment and facilitate commercial exchange.
The meeting forms part of OPAZ’s broader strategy to enhance the attractiveness of Al Mazyona Free Zone by leveraging its strategic location and introducing specialised initiatives that strengthen its role as a regional hub for trade and logistics services supporting regional markets, particularly Yemen.
