With a handshake, two mining rights landed, and the copper and metal mines underground in Oman were being rediscovered by capital. Recently, the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Oman has signed contracts with two mining companies to hand over an exploration map with a total area of 1687 square kilometers - this is not ordinary paperwork, but another step for Oman to turn mining into a new economic engine.

The mining rights of the two places have been settled

The first block is the 51-B mining area, spanning across inland and central provinces, with an area of 1050 square kilometers, taken over by Emaar Mining. The initial exploration investment is 6.2 million US dollars, with a period of 2 years and 3 months, to conduct topographic surveys, geophysics, remote sensing, geochemistry, drilling, and trenching.

The second block is the 25-E mining area, located in the southeastern province with an area of 637 square kilometers. It has been allocated to Royal Gulf Minerals and Energy with an exploration investment of 9.2 million US dollars, and has also completed the processes of surveying, geophysical exploration, remote sensing, laboratory testing, drilling, and trenching. The total exploration cost for both companies is exactly 15.4 million US dollars.

From mining to making money

Oman doesn't just want to 'find the mine'. 51-B and 25-E both need to have a clear understanding of their geological background before proceeding with development and commercial production. Currently, Oman has granted 28 mining concessions covering copper, chromite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, silica, and salts. Some copper mining projects have already started mining, and the Mazoon copper mine is highly anticipated, with plans to officially start production in 2027.

Once the ore is transformed from a blueprint into ore, the industrial chain comes to life: processing, manufacturing, and downstream products can all be implemented, and local added value also increases accordingly.

2040 Vision Backend

In 2025, Oman's mining revenue increased by about 39% compared to 2024, and the policy side is also making up for its shortcomings: the standards for occupational safety are being raised, the Oman Mineral Trading Company is established, and mining applications, government services, and investment opportunities are entering the digital system.

All of this serves the same goal - Oman Vision 2040. Economy cannot rely solely on oil, mining should be a diversified platform. Two agreements, 15.4 million US dollars, just the appetizer; The real highlight is the conversion of exploration results into mines, mines into factories, and factories into GDP.Editor/Yang Meiling