Ibra Branch 

General Information

The Ibra Branch of the Chamber was opened in February 1988. It serves six wilayats of the North Sharqiya region, namely: Ibra, Al Qabil, Bidiya, Wadi Bani Khalid, Wadi Dima Wataen and Mudhaibi. As on 31/12/2001 the branch had 5,750 registered members.

The branch building consists of offices of the Branch Committee Chairman, the Branch Director, a Conference hall and other administrative offices. 

Branch Committee

The Branch committee consists of 9 members and it is chaired by a Board Member of OCCI and there are sub-committees for Foodstuff, Economy, Services, Agriculture and Fisheries, Industry, Contracting and Gas.

The Committees hold regular meetings to discuss economic topics having relations to the region and raise recommendations to the concerned Government authorities for finding solutions.
 
Names of the OCCI Ibra-Sur Branch Committee:

There are around 70 historical sites in the Wilaya, including the Forts in Al Qabil and Mudhairib. The Wilaya also boasts of 50 Falajs and it is famous for the villages lying between high golden sand dunes.

Bidiya

This Wilaya is inhabited by around 15,000 people residing in 15 villages. History says the Wilaya was established around 1,600 AD by the Al Hajri tribesmen. They built the Falajs and Forts. It is famous for trade, Khanjar manufacturing and traditional weaving. Muntarib and Ghabbi are the important markets in the Wilaya.

The recently restored Fort in Bidiya is the most famous landmark of the wilaya. There are a few excellent tourist resorts, built recently in the Sharqiya sands and attracted by many tourists. The Wilaya also boasts of some of the best camel and horse racing tracks.

Wadi Bani Khaled

This Wilaya has 30 villages and a population of around 6,000 people, who are mostly engaged in farming and cattle breeding. This Wilaya is known for some of its best varieties of dates. There are a number of archaeological landmarks in the Wilaya such as the Mawalik Fort built in 9th Century AD. Tourist attractions of the Wilaya include the cave in Muqill.

Wadi Dima Wa-Tayeen

This Wilaya is inhabited by around 15,000 people residing in 51 villages, well known for farming. History says that the Wilaya was famous for its thoroughbred Arab horses which were exported to other parts of the Sultanate as well as to some foreign countries. The Wilaya got the name Taeen from the ‘Tai’ tribe who fled Yemen following the burst of the Maareb Dam to Samail and from there they settled in a Wadi, which was later known by the tribe’s name.

Business Activity in the Region

The Sharqiya Region was known since the very olden days as the meeting place of the trade caravans, thanks to its geographical location. These caravans were carrying goods to the nearby Ports of Sur and Muscat from where they were exported. Each Wilaya of the region had its own traditional markets such as the Safala, Allayat Ibra, Muntarib, Mudhairib and Sinaw markets.

These markets transformed, by the passage of time, to modern business centres, with their shops selling all sorts of commodities. During the Eid festivals, open markets are held to sell sacrifice animals and other specialities of the Eid.

The Wednesday Market in Ibra is unique in Oman. More than 3,000 women from all over the Sultanate come to this market to sell traditional Omani dresses, modern clothes, tailoring materials and other related accessories. To support the bustling business activities in the region, all major banks have opened their branches there.

Economic Aspects of the Region

The region had played a distinct economic role in the past, as far as Oman’s old business relations with the outer world was concerned. In the olden days, economy of the region was dependent upon trading, farming, animal breeding, handicrafts such as Khanjar and Sword making, Jewellery, Pottery and Weaving.

Some light industries, such as steel and aluminium workshops, auto-
repairing garages, ice plants, animal fodder units and gas filling are also there.

Residents of the coastal villages are mostly engaged in selling fish brought from the coastal areas of the Sharqiya region such as Sur, Lashkhara and Mahout. Fish markets of Ibra, Muntarib and Sinaw are known for the large varieties of fish sold there.

The region occupies an important places among the Sultanate’s regions, as far as agriculture is concerned, as it produces some of the finest dates and dry-dates. Several types of vegetables are also grown there.

Tourism is one of the most promising sectors of economic development in the region. The fascinating natural sceneries, dotted with falajs, ponds, forts, towering mountains, caves, trees and the golden sands of Wahaiba are enough to attract any nature enthusiastic tourist. A number of tourist resorts have come up in Bidiya to cater to desert tourism activities.

The most important industrial projects in the region are the Oman LNG Company and the Urea Project in Sur.

Business and Investment Opportunities

The geographical location of the region has helped the region to flourish its business activities, throughout in the history. It also makes the region one of the best investment destinations in the country. Following are some of the potential projects:

1. Marble Factory. Raw materials are available in Bidya and Mudhaibi.

2. Dates Processing Factory. The region produces some of the finest quality dates.

3. Animal/Poultry Farms. Such projects are not available at present in the region.

4. Weaving/Knitting Factory. The region is famous for these types of industries since very old times.

5. Fertiliser Plant. Necessary rw materials are available and the region is in need of such an industry.

6. Tourist restaurants and fast food joints.

7. Public Park in Ibra.

8. Interlock Tiles Factory.

9. Computer Maintenance Workshops.

10. Legal Consultancy Offices

11. Chartered Accountants Office

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