Sultanate of Oman will step onto one of the seafood industry’s biggest commercial stages next week when it joins the 32nd edition of Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, using the event to showcase its fisheries ambitions, court buyers and investors, and push higher up the value chain in seafood processing and packaging. The expo is scheduled for 21 to 23 April at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue.
The Omani pavilion is set to bring together the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, known as Madayn, and the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, or OPAZ, alongside eight factories specialising in seafood processing and packaging. That mix signals a broader message than a simple trade fair appearance: Muscat is presenting not only fish products, but an industrial and export ecosystem built around logistics, processing capacity and investment zones.
Yaqoub bin Khalfan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Fisheries and head of the Omani delegation, has described the fair as a strategically important platform for promoting Omani seafood products and strengthening the country’s presence in international markets. He said the delegation would seek new export channels and quality investment while also studying the latest global practices in fishing, processing and marketing. Those aims fit neatly with Oman Vision 2040, which places economic diversification, industrial upgrading and stronger productive sectors at the centre of policy.
Barcelona offers a large audience for that pitch. Organisers say the 2026 edition will be the biggest in the event’s history, with more than 52,950 square metres of exhibition space, more than 2,300 exhibiting companies from 86 countries and 65 national and regional pavilions. Oman is listed among the new pavilions this year, a sign that the sultanate is seeking a more visible footing in a global market where competition is increasingly shaped by branding, certification, traceability, innovation and access to premium retail and food-service channels.
That matters because the economics of fisheries are changing. Selling raw catch alone no longer delivers the same strategic return as building brands, expanding cold-chain and processing infrastructure, and moving into value-added products. Seafood Expo Global itself reflects that shift. Alongside buyers and wholesalers, the fair brings together machinery suppliers, packaging specialists, logistics groups and technology firms. This year it is also putting special emphasis on aquaculture innovation, marine animal health and sustainable feed through a dedicated innovation zone.
For Oman, the opportunity lies in matching its natural marine endowment with deeper industrial capacity. The fisheries sector has been growing as part of the sultanate’s diversification drive. Reporting tied to ministry and economy data has shown the sector recording solid expansion through 2024, with rising GDP contribution and policy backing aimed at improving food security, lifting exports and creating jobs. Other official and semi-official initiatives launched over the past year have focused on turning fisheries from a largely resource-based activity into a more integrated manufacturing and export platform, particularly around special economic zones.
The presence of Madayn and OPAZ at the pavilion underlines that industrial strategy. Madayn’s involvement points to factory development and manufacturing support, while OPAZ’s role highlights the use of free zones and special economic zones as gateways for export-oriented investment. Duqm, in particular, has been positioned in official planning as a hub for value-added fisheries industries, linking port infrastructure with processing, storage and overseas market access.
The challenge, however, is not simply to attend and exhibit. Global seafood markets are under pressure from volatile trade conditions, tighter sustainability expectations, input cost shifts and changing consumer preferences. Conference sessions at the Barcelona event are due to address aquaculture, compliance, transparency, responsible management and emerging market trends, while economist Nomi Prins is scheduled to deliver a keynote on trade and economic pressure points affecting the industry. For Oman, that means the trip is as much about intelligence-gathering as sales promotion.
Another test will be differentiation. The expo will feature strong participation from established seafood exporters across Europe, Asia and Latin America, many with mature processing industries and entrenched relationships with supermarket and hospitality buyers. Oman’s task is to persuade international partners that it can offer not only supply, but consistency, standards, modern packaging and efficient export logistics. The inclusion of eight processing and packaging factories suggests the delegation wants to show practical commercial readiness rather than just policy intent.
The Omani pavilion is set to bring together the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, known as Madayn, and the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, or OPAZ, alongside eight factories specialising in seafood processing and packaging. That mix signals a broader message than a simple trade fair appearance: Muscat is presenting not only fish products, but an industrial and export ecosystem built around logistics, processing capacity and investment zones.
Yaqoub bin Khalfan Al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Fisheries and head of the Omani delegation, has described the fair as a strategically important platform for promoting Omani seafood products and strengthening the country’s presence in international markets. He said the delegation would seek new export channels and quality investment while also studying the latest global practices in fishing, processing and marketing. Those aims fit neatly with Oman Vision 2040, which places economic diversification, industrial upgrading and stronger productive sectors at the centre of policy.
Barcelona offers a large audience for that pitch. Organisers say the 2026 edition will be the biggest in the event’s history, with more than 52,950 square metres of exhibition space, more than 2,300 exhibiting companies from 86 countries and 65 national and regional pavilions. Oman is listed among the new pavilions this year, a sign that the sultanate is seeking a more visible footing in a global market where competition is increasingly shaped by branding, certification, traceability, innovation and access to premium retail and food-service channels.
That matters because the economics of fisheries are changing. Selling raw catch alone no longer delivers the same strategic return as building brands, expanding cold-chain and processing infrastructure, and moving into value-added products. Seafood Expo Global itself reflects that shift. Alongside buyers and wholesalers, the fair brings together machinery suppliers, packaging specialists, logistics groups and technology firms. This year it is also putting special emphasis on aquaculture innovation, marine animal health and sustainable feed through a dedicated innovation zone.
For Oman, the opportunity lies in matching its natural marine endowment with deeper industrial capacity. The fisheries sector has been growing as part of the sultanate’s diversification drive. Reporting tied to ministry and economy data has shown the sector recording solid expansion through 2024, with rising GDP contribution and policy backing aimed at improving food security, lifting exports and creating jobs. Other official and semi-official initiatives launched over the past year have focused on turning fisheries from a largely resource-based activity into a more integrated manufacturing and export platform, particularly around special economic zones.
The presence of Madayn and OPAZ at the pavilion underlines that industrial strategy. Madayn’s involvement points to factory development and manufacturing support, while OPAZ’s role highlights the use of free zones and special economic zones as gateways for export-oriented investment. Duqm, in particular, has been positioned in official planning as a hub for value-added fisheries industries, linking port infrastructure with processing, storage and overseas market access.
The challenge, however, is not simply to attend and exhibit. Global seafood markets are under pressure from volatile trade conditions, tighter sustainability expectations, input cost shifts and changing consumer preferences. Conference sessions at the Barcelona event are due to address aquaculture, compliance, transparency, responsible management and emerging market trends, while economist Nomi Prins is scheduled to deliver a keynote on trade and economic pressure points affecting the industry. For Oman, that means the trip is as much about intelligence-gathering as sales promotion.
Another test will be differentiation. The expo will feature strong participation from established seafood exporters across Europe, Asia and Latin America, many with mature processing industries and entrenched relationships with supermarket and hospitality buyers. Oman’s task is to persuade international partners that it can offer not only supply, but consistency, standards, modern packaging and efficient export logistics. The inclusion of eight processing and packaging factories suggests the delegation wants to show practical commercial readiness rather than just policy intent.
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Oman