Salalah – Investment opportunities spanning agriculture, fisheries, livestock and food technology will come under the spotlight as Dhofar prepares to host the Food Security Forum and Exhibition 2026 on Monday.

The forum in Salalah will bring together government officials, investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts to examine ways of strengthening Oman’s food security while expanding the sector’s contribution to economic diversification.

H H Sayyid Marwan bin Turki Al Said, Governor of Dhofar, will preside over the opening.

Organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Dhofar branch in cooperation with the Office of the Governor of Dhofar and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the event will focus on turning the governorate’s agricultural and fisheries potential into commercially viable projects.

An accompanying exhibition at Attin Plain, running from August 11 to 15, will feature about 100 exhibitors from agriculture, livestock, fisheries, food processing, modern farming technologies, logistics, finance and investment.

The programme will examine both the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources will present food security indicators and achievements, while the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning will outline usufruct regulations and the role of its Tatweer platform in facilitating investment.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion will highlight opportunities through Invest Oman, while the Development Bank will present financing options for agricultural projects.

Other sessions will focus on the agricultural potential of Najd in Dhofar, plans for the Najd Agricultural City and the role of technology in improving food supply chains, transport and long-term sustainability.

Naif bin Hamed Fadel, Chairman of OCCI’s Dhofar branch, said food sustainability depended on closer cooperation between the public and private sectors and creating an investment environment capable of converting Oman’s natural resources into value-added projects.

He said the forum would help attract local and foreign investment while strengthening Dhofar’s position as a centre for agriculture and food-related industries.

Usufruct contracts aimed at enabling new agricultural and food projects are also expected to be signed during the event.

The forum will conclude with an open dialogue between specialists and decision-makers on the sector’s key challenges and future opportunities.