Muscat: The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) will host the first Duqm Now session of 2026, Duqm Made, 7:30pm, Wednesday 11 February 2026 at Crowne Plaza Duqm.
Duqm is built for industry and in a trade environment where tariffs, compliance expectations and routing decisions are evolving rapidly, industrial locations are increasingly judged on how well they convert output into exports, on time and with minimal friction. With its location on the Arabian Sea and proximity to major shipping lanes, Duqm is well placed to support companies looking for resilient routes and dependable operating conditions.
The backdrop is a global trading system that remains large, active and more politically and operationally complex. UNCTAD estimates global trade reached a record level of more than US$35 trillion in 2025. At the same time, WTO economists have pointed to weaker prospects for 2026, noting the effects of higher tariffs and ongoing policy uncertainty. The IMF similarly expects trade policy uncertainty to remain elevated through 2026, including in relation to tariffs.
Commenting on the session, Eng. Ahmed Akaak, CEO, SEZAD, said: “Duqm Made is about what turns production into dependable exports. We’ll follow the journey from output to shipment using real examples from major Duqm tenants, looking at what keeps standards consistent, operations running smoothly and goods moving quickly from factory gate to ship. We’ll also cover the documentation, including emissions data, that buyers increasingly expect. If you build, invest, supply or support industrial activity, you’ll come away with a clear picture of what strong export performance looks like in practice.”
Oman’s trade figures help explain why this operational focus matters. NCSI data for January to October 2025 shows total merchandise exports of RO19.3bn (US$50bn), while non-oil exports rose 9.9% to RO5.6bn (US$14.5bn) compared with the same period of 2024, a reminder that a growing share of Oman’s export momentum is coming from the parts of the economy that rely on consistent, repeatable delivery.
February’s Duqm Now session will bring together investors, tenants, suppliers and partners to look at how competitiveness is built in practice, with attention to what gets measured, where time is saved and how delivery remains predictable as volumes grow.
