Action Plan of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry Roadmap for the Implementation of the Manufacturing Strategy 2040 “Manufacturing for Well-being” (M4WB).

The Plan of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry aims to strengthen the manufacturing sector and promote economic diversification in Oman, reducing the country's dependence on the oil industry. It builds on Manufacture for Wellbeing (M4WB) - Oman’s manufacturing development strategy to 2040 - which provides the overarching vision for the sector’s transformation, driven by knowledge-based industries, particularly those associated with health and environmental clusters, producing goods that contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the Omani population. It seeks to support economic diversification, innovation, and technological advancement by expanding a modern, capital-intensive industrial base aligned with the opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Under this vision, Oman’s manufacturing sector will progressively adopt advanced production technologies, digital solutions, and high-value skills, enabling a gradual shift away from the traditional dominance of resource-based industries toward a more diversified and interconnected industrial ecosystem. By 2040, the sector is expected to be globally competitive, serving not only domestic and Gulf Cooperation Council markets but also international markets, thereby positioning Oman as a significant player in global manufacturing value chains. To translate the above vision into specific policies, programmes, and actions M4WB set the following strategic objectives (i) diversify the Sultanate of Oman’s manufacturing sector into technology and knowledge-driven activities; (ii) develop unique products focussed on improving people’s health and welfare; (iii) expand Omani industry into regional and new markets; (iv) upgrade the Sultanate of Oman’s manufacturing sector to include ‘state-of-the-art’ technologies; (v) create an industrial innovation culture. The Strategy seeks to transform Oman’s manufacturing sector through a combination of (i) knowledge-intensive industries (health and environmental technologies); (ii) capital-intensive industries (electromechanical equipment, transport equipment, and metal products); (iii) natural resource-based industries (food, oil and gas, metals, minerals, chemicals, and furniture). Together, these industries are expected to drive economic diversification, technological innovation, and global competitiveness by 2040.
The Plan identifies 3 broad areas of intervention - people, technology, and governance - to address the key challenges hindering the achievement of the M4WB vision by 2040 (1) developing human capital and skills. The Plan emphasizes the need to strengthen the skills base required by a modern manufacturing sector. Priority actions include improving the quality of education at all levels, increasing the practical and workplace-oriented components of learning, enhancing the quality assurance and certification of private higher education institutions, and expanding technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The strategy also calls for updating curricula, adopting modern training methods, increasing the supply of technical courses, improving the social perception of vocational occupations, and encouraging greater private-sector involvement in skills development; (2) strengthening innovation and technological upgrading. To support the transition towards advanced and digital manufacturing, the Plan promotes increased investment in research and development (R&D) by firms, stronger integration of digital manufacturing into university teaching and research, and the establishment of mechanisms to facilitate technology diffusion. Proposed measures include the creation of expert networks, forums, and demonstration projects to disseminate knowledge and best practices. The Plan also highlights the need for labour market regulations that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate technological change and for greater worker participation in the adoption and development of new technologies; (3) modernizing governance and institutional frameworks, reforming laws, regulations, incentives, institutions, and administrative procedures to improve policy effectiveness and support industrial development. Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening coordination among government entities and stakeholders, reducing institutional overlaps and fragmented mandates, and enhancing inter-sectoral linkages and domestic supply chains. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is expected to play a leading role in implementing the manufacturing strategy. Additional priorities include improving the design of public incentives and establishing robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning mechanisms to assess performance and incorporate lessons from international best practices.