Muscat – Ministry of Health (MoH) signed purchase agreements with six Omani pharmaceutical companies on Sunday to promote local manufacturing of medicines and medical supplies.

The agreements were finalised during the closing ceremony of the National Local Content Lab as part of efforts to localise medical supplies and reduce reliance on imports.

Agreements were signed with Philex Pharmaceuticals, Menagene Pharmaceuticals, Opal Bio Pharma, Dhofar Pharma, Izz Pharma and Health Supplies Factory. These companies will manufacture a range of pharmaceutical drugs; biological drugs; specialised treatments for genetic and metabolic diseases; and intravenous and dialysis solutions.

H E Sulaiman Nasser al Haji, Undersecretary for Administrative and Financial Affairs, signed the agreements on behalf of the ministry.

MoH stated that these efforts aim to strengthen the local pharma industry by fostering innovation, enhancing competitiveness of national manufacturers, and encouraging production expansion while ensuring quality standards.

The agreements were developed through collaboration between MoH, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the Secretariat General of Tender Board, and the National Programme for Private Sector and Foreign Trade Development (Nazdaher). The framework for these was prepared following recommendations from the Health Investment Lab held in December 2022.

MoH emphasised the fact that the agreements align with Oman’s strategic objectives to secure a steady supply of medicines, reduce import dependency, and enhance resilience of the healthcare sector. The ministry’s efforts also support the broader goal of advancing local production and technological innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.

MoH also reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the agreements, marking a step forward in strengthening Oman’s pharmaceutical security and ensuring sustainable development in the healthcare sector.