Muscat – The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MoHUP) signed 28 contracts, worth RO2.67mn, with several SMEs on Wednesday. The projects are spread over a total area of 980,000sqm in agriculture, livestock and industrial sectors in North Sharqiyah.

The agreements aim to support the economy and investments, while raising efficiency in sustainable land use to meet the needs of Oman for food security projects using modern and innovative scientific methods. H E Dr Muhammad al Mutawa, Undersecretary for Urban Planning, represented MoHUP in the signing held at the Directorate General of Housing and Urban Planning in North Sharqiyah in Ibra.

Industrial sector

Usufruct contracts were signed in the industrial sector for establishment of a mineral water purification and bottling plant in the wilayat of Wadi Bani Khalid at a cost RO150,000.

Livestock sector

Three agreements were signed for poultry farming in the wilayats of Al Qabil and Mudhaibi on a total area of 124,000sqm at a cost of RO165,000. An agreement was also signed for breeding and selling livestock in Mudhaibi worth RO55,000.

Agricultural sector

A total of 23 agreements were signed for vegetable and fruit production in the wilayats of Al Qabil, Ibra, Wadi Bani Khalid, Mudhaibi and Bidiyah, on an area of more than 800,000sqm at a total cost of RO2.3mn.

With these agreements, MoHUP has inked a total of 62 usufruct contracts for various uses this year.