According to the report, the flour mill is being built by Sohar Flour Mills, which is a subsidiary of Oman Flour Mills. Oman Flour Mills is partly owned by the government of Oman, and the plans for the new flour mill are part of the Omani government’s national food security strategy, according to the Oman Daily Observer.
The flour mill is expected to be built adjacent to a silo-based grain storage complex planned by the Public Authority for Strategic Food Reserves (PASFR). Together with an agro-terminal being developed by the Sohar Port and Freezone, as well as a sugar refinery planned by an Omani firm, the new investments are expected to anchor the growth of a major food logistics and distribution hub at Sohar, according to the Oman Daily Observer.
Ali Habaj, chief executive officer of Oman Flour Mills, said a contract for the supply of milling equipment for the new flour mill at Sohar has been finalized. While construction work is set to begin next month, the mill isn’t expected to be complete until the end of 2017. In addition to the flour mill, the Oman Daily Observer noted that Sohar Flour Mills is in talks to help build the silo complex.
“The company is in discussion with the (government) for undertaking the project for building silos for strategic food (reserves),” Habaj said. “Should this project materialize and be awarded to Sohar Flour Mills, the construction and management will be done by a group company and it will receive rental income from the government. The status of this project is still unknown.”
Established as a joint stock company in 1977 with a wheat milling capacity of 150 tonnes per day, Oman Flour Mills has evolved into Oman’s second largest miller with a current capacity of 800 tonnes per day. The company also operates an animal feed mill that has total capacity of 1,100 tonnes per day.
Oman markets its flour products under the name “Dahabi,” meaning gold. The company offers more than 20 varieties of flour and allied products under this brand name. The company also produces more than 20 different animal feeds under the brand name “Barakat.”
