DuroMENA LLC, an affiliated company of Badr Investment Group, has signed a usufruct agreement with Salalah Free Zone (SFZ) securing the land for an integrated fertiliser and chemicals manufacturing complex, representing a total investment of approximately USD 105 million. The agreement marks a major milestone for the project, formally establishing the site on which the plant will be built.

A New Manufacturing Base for Specialty Fertilisers and Industrial Chemicals

At full capacity, the complex is planned to produce 100,000 tonnes per year of Sulphate of Potash (SOP), positioning it among a select group of specialty potash producers supplying premium, low-chloride potassium to high-value agriculture worldwide, delivering the potassium and sulphur that support plant growth, crop quality, and resilience to environmental stress.

Alongside SOP, DuroMENA’s product slate at the site spans three further lines. Calcium Chloride production, targeted at up to 50,000 tonnes per year, will serve oilfield and industrial demand across the Gulf, an application area where the compound is valued for drilling-fluid additives, dust control, and construction-related uses, with additional volumes suited to de-icing applications in colder export markets such as North America. Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP) 35,000 tonnes per year, a feed-grade phosphate supplement for livestock nutrition, addresses the region’s growing animal feed sector, while Sulfuric Acid, a foundational industrial input, supports the site’s own production processes as well as broader regional industrial demand. Together, the four products position DuroMENA to serve crop agriculture, animal feed, and industrial customers from a single integrated site.

A Global Buyer Base Already Taking Shape

Rather than starting from a blank slate, DuroMENA’s commercial development already spans three continents, with offtake relationships established across Europe and North America, active engagement across the Middle East, and growing interest from South Asia and Latin America. The result is an export footprint reaching well beyond the Gulf from day one, supporting Oman’s broader ambitions to expand non-oil exports and strengthen its position as a regional manufacturing and logistics hub.

Strengthening Salalah’s Industrial Cluster

Commenting on the signing, Dr Ali Tabouk, CEO of Salalah Free Zone, framed the agreement as part of a wider effort to build integrated industrial value chains and grow a dedicated chemicals and fertilisers cluster within the zone.

reinforcing the Sultanate of Oman's competitiveness as a regional industrial hub  — Dr Ali Tabouk, CEO, Salalah Free Zone

Mohammed Al Habsi, Group HR & Compliance Manager at Badr Investment Group, noted that the DuroMENA project reflects the shareholders’ broader strategic direction toward sustainable, value-adding industrial investments that support Oman’s long-term economic growth, and highlighted the project’s alignment with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly economic diversification, private-sector development, industrial growth, and job creation.

Wider Economic Impact

Beyond the direct investment, the project is expected to generate employment and skills-development opportunities for Omanis, increase In-Country Value through greater participation by local small and medium-sized enterprises and suppliers, and support the transfer of technical expertise and industrial capability to the local economy. It is also expected to strengthen downstream and ancillary industries and further reinforce Salalah’s role as a regional industrial and logistics hub.