Agriculture & Fisheries

Farming and fishing play important roles in the Omani economy: more than half the local population and some 7.8% of expatriate workers are employed in these industries. This is despite the historic challenge of an arid climate and scarcity of water for crop cultivation, which have traditionally limited development. However, the implementation of modern irrigation techniques in recent times has enabled total agricultural output to grow from 989,000 tonnes in 2005 to 1.2m tonnes in 2008. Fishing is also set for good growth. More than 36,000 Omani nationals are employed in the fishing industry using traditional capture fishing methods. The government is now offering a wide array of financial and business development incentives to encourage investment and expand the segment. This chapter includes an interview with Fuad Jaffer Al Sajwani, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth.