Oman’s mineral resources to receive boost with new trading entity
Showcasing the importance of minerals a new trading entity is being rolled out by Minerals Development Oman (MDO) will help strengthen the Sultanate of Oman’s position in the global minerals supply chain and unlock greater value from the country’s mineral resources, according to a top official of the wholly state-owned mining and minerals investment company. Oman Minerals Trading Company is slated for formal launch in May 2026.
Mattar bin Salim al Badi, CEO, said the Oman Minerals Trading Company — currently under formation — will enable MDO to capture strategic market insights while strengthening its pricing leverage and developing downstream value chains — moves that will drive the company’s investment and growth agenda.
“Trading is a central pillar of MDO’s long-term strategy”, Al Badi said. “We are in the process of establishing Oman Minerals Trading Company, a fully owned subsidiary, to manage the marketing and export of mineral commodities. By regulatory mandate, minerals such as chromite and gypsum will not be exported without this company’s approval, ensuring a structured, transparent and value-driven trade”, he stated in an interview featured in The Energy Year, a global intelligence platform focused on the energy sector.
“This trading platform enables us to play a role in existing mining operations through offtake and equity participation, without directly operating the assets. It provides a flexible, capital-efficient model that supports regional expansion while generating stable revenue”, Al Badi added.
First unveiled by the Ministry of Energy and Minerals in May this year, the new trading arm will act as a central export manager to aggregate shipments, standardise contracts and pricing; and reduce the fragmentation that has kept Omani minerals (gypsum, chromite etc) selling at low margins.
MDO plans to set up a specialist trading desk to handle commercial negotiations, offtake deals and risk management; and to engage global commodity traders and buyers. It will negotiate longer-term offtake and partnership agreements, enabling pre-financing and price certainty for higher-value processed products. Additionally, the initiative will help support downstream value addition and logistics, enabling Oman to export higher-value processed minerals rather than raw, low-margin quarried outputs.
The export of chromium ore requires a concentration of no less than 36 per cent. This percentage excludes processed chromium ore at all concentrations, provided written approval is obtained from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals.
Al Badi also underlined MDO’s strategy to evolve into a diversified mining investment company. “Over the coming years, we anticipate significant growth driven by technological advancements and supportive government policies, particularly in areas such as electric-vehicle battery manufacturing. MDO aims to attract strategic investors and establish joint ventures to capitalise on these emerging opportunities”, he said.
“We also foresee substantial growth in copper production, with upstream developments potentially extending beyond Oman, while retaining downstream processing within the country to maximise local value creation. Our ambition is to scale MDO into a leading mining investment company, with a diversified portfolio and a strong presence across the entire value chain”, the CEO stated.
