As part of its efforts to help the sultanate achieve self-sufficiency in food security, Nakheel Oman Development Company (NODC) has announced that its Dates Industrial Complex in Nizwa will start production by the end of this year. 

“The complex will have an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes. It will be one of the largest date processing plants in the world which will be a major shift for this sector in the sultanate,” said Ali al Araimi, general manager, NODC. 

He added, “Nakheel Oman recently exported its first shipment of Zaad dates to India.” 

NODC’s complex in Nizwa will be dedicated to post-harvesting operations (fumigation, warehousing, sorting and packaging) and other related manufacturing activities in accordance with the highest industry standards.  

NODC is a partnership of the Diwan of Royal Court (represented by the Directorate General of the One Million Date Palms Plantation Project) and Oman National Investments Development Company (Tanmia). 

NODC is the main offtaker of the dates, as well as the palm waste harvested from 11 farms distributed across six governorates that form part of the One Million Date Palms Plantation Project.  

Another company, Oman Dates Production and Packing Company, which was established in 2018, has invested in a project to establish an integrated factory in Barka and six collection centres in different governorates.  

NODC will purchase date products from farmers, process, package and sell these in local markets besides export.  

The cost of the complex is RO28mn in the first stage and estimated to reach RO75mn in the final stage.