Related to the food industry and growing within SOHAR is ORPIC’s Liwa Plastics which will be on stream in 2020. Its products, polypropylene and polyethylene, are the ideal materials to be further converted to packaging material in the food industry. We envision that Liwa Plastics will be a perfect example of the holistic integration in terms of delivery of a finished product that SOHAR is trying to create within its clusters – it is a One-Stop-Shop for all agro food-related industries.

The opportunity

The polymer industry in the GCC is expected to reach 34.5 million tonnes by 2022, supporting further downstream development while growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3 per cent, according to the GCC Plastic Industry Indicators Report 2016. SOHAR is also looking at the development of the downstream plastics industry.

The advantage

The company has the benefit of the $6.5 billion Liwa Plastics polyethylene and polypropylene project, which will provide the raw materials to support a variety of industries within the Freezone itself. Its products, polypropylene and polyethylene, are the ideal materials to be further converted into packaging material in the food industry. In the plastics industry, a business that goes into more downstream opportunities is generally more secure. The Freezone strategy focuses on minimising raw material exports and attracting investments into downstream industries to enhance value addition. ORPIC is supporting Oman’s plastic downstream industry development to fulfil the local and international demand for plastic goods.