A groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 6 in the Special Economic Zone of Duqm for Oman's first factory to produce reinforced polyethylene pipes.

The project is a Chinese-Omani partnership owned by Hongtong Duqm Pipes Company, which holds 51% of its shares. Blue Ocean International and Daoud Alfarsi hold 44% and 5%, respectively.

Hongtong Duqm Pipes Company said in a statement that the construction work will begin this month in the special economic zone, located 550 kilometers south of the capital Muscat.

The factory is expected to be completed in about 10 to 12 months, with actual production expected to start in the third quarter of 2020.

The factory, covering an area of 60,000 square meters, will produce about 1,200 kilometers of reinforced plastic pipes annually with the possibility of doubling its production capacity.

In an interview with Xinhua, Shao Longnan, general manager of Hongtong Duqm Pipes Company, said that the investment cost of the plant is about US$6 million.

"The project aims to meet the demand in the local market for these pipes mainly in the first phase, and will work to sell the products to various markets in the region at a later stage as required," Shao said.

The Special Economic Zone of Duqm includes a Chinese-Omani city project, which is one of the most important joint projects between the two countries.