What Fisheries Development Oman does

Fisheries Development Oman SAOC (FDO) is a state-owned investment holding company established by the Government of Oman through the Oman Investment Authority (OIA) to develop the country's fisheries and aquaculture sector as part of Oman Vision 2040's economic diversification mandate. The group operates seven wholly-owned subsidiaries organised across three business segments: commercial fishing (Oman Pelagic, Al Wusta Fisheries Industries), aquaculture (Blue Waters LLC, Natural Shrimp Aquaculture, Oriental Shrimp Aquaculture), and value-added processing and infrastructure (Marsa Al Duqm Investments, SIMAK). FDO's commercial fishing fleet targets small pelagic species such as Arabian Horse Mackerel and local mackerel in Oman's exclusive economic zone; aquaculture operations span European seabream grown in floating cages (5,000 tons/year), shrimp farms totalling roughly 10,000 tons/year of capacity, a 9-million-fingerling-per-year hatchery, and a pilot 3,000-ton tuna farm; and value-added operations include a 27,000-ton-per-year sardine and tuna cannery at SIMAK plus ancillary fishmeal and fish oil, and the 7.5 sq km Marsa Al Duqm fisheries port — the largest commercial fishing port in Oman.

Technically, FDO's platform is built on integrated aquaculture and port infrastructure rather than software. Core technologies include water recirculation aquaculture systems for cultivating high-value species, floating cage and containment systems capable of producing up to 5,000 tons of European seabream annually, and dedicated fisheries port and special economic zone facilities at Duqm with a 10.5-meter dredged entrance channel and 300,000 sq meters of commercial leasable space. The group operates a five-vessel commercial pelagic fishing fleet (Oman Pelagic), a 200-hectare and 500-hectare shrimp farm footprint across two subsidiaries, and centralized cannery processing — combining upstream primary production with downstream value-added manufacturing on the same coastal logistics corridor.

FDO's business model is hybrid B2B/B2G and investment-driven. Direct revenue streams include commercial fishing catch sales, aquaculture product sales (shrimp, seabream, tuna), canned seafood and by-product sales (fishmeal/fish oil), and port/infrastructure leasing to fishing operators at Duqm. Indirectly, FDO pursues foreign direct investment in Oman's fisheries sector through dedicated investment prospectuses (Al Jazir Shrimp Farm, Tuna & Sardine Cannery, FDO Investment Booklet) targeting international and local investors. Products flow into GCC regional supply chains and international export markets; the company explicitly invests in global distribution companies to open new markets for Omani seafood. End customers are enterprise buyers — wholesalers, food processors, export distributors — rather than consumers. Government alignment under OIA provides capital intensity and an exclusive fishing license for small pelagic species, differentiating FDO from private-sector aquaculture operators but tying its mandate to state diversification policy rather than pure commercial return.

Name

Fisheries Development Oman

Legal name

Fisheries Development Oman SOAC

Website

https://fdo.om

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture and Commercial Fishing

NAICS

Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171), Aquaculture (11251), Marine Cargo Handling (488320)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Crustacean Farming (e.g., shrimp, prawns, crab) (AFAEAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore & Open-Ocean Aquaculture (AFAEAAAH), Ready-to-Eat Seafood (Cooked Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Surimi) (AFANALAC), Stevedoring & Vessel Loading/Discharging (Ship-to-Shore Operations) (TLAHALAA)

Keywords

• Aquaculture production
• Commercial fishing
• Seafood processing
• Fisheries investment
• Marine infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Muscat

HQ country

Oman

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Fishing Operations: Oman Pelagic operates commercial pelagic fishing fleet targeting small pelagic species (Arabian Horse Mackerel, local Mackerel) in Omani exclusive economic zone. Fleet expanded to 5 commercial pelagic fishing vessels.
2. Aquaculture Production: Production and sale of cultivated shrimp (European seabream, various shrimp species) and finfish through floating cage and containment systems. Includes Blue Waters tuna farming and shrimp aquaculture operations.
3. Fish Processing and Value-Added Products: Sardine and tuna cannery operations, fishmeal and fish oil production through SIMAK. Processing capacity of 31KT/year of sardine and tuna, plus ancillary fishmeal and fish oil production.
4. Infrastructure and Port Services: Marsa Al Duqm provides fisheries port infrastructure and related commercial facilities across 300,000 square meters. Leasing of port facilities and industrial zone assets to fishing operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) is a state-owned investment holding company that develops Oman's fisheries and aquaculture sector through seven wholly-owned subsidiaries. It operates commercial pelagic fishing (Arabian Horse Mackerel, mackerel), shrimp and finfish aquaculture (European seabream via floating cages, shrimp farms, fingerlings), value-added fish processing (canned sardines, canned tuna, fishmeal, fish oil), and fisheries port infrastructure at Marsa Al Duqm. Its products serve GCC food security needs and international export markets, with strategic alignment to Oman Vision 2040.

Product overview

Fisheries Development Oman (FDO) is a state-owned investment company overseeing a portfolio of seven subsidiaries across the fisheries value chain. The portfolio comprises three business segments: Commercial Fishing (Oman Pelagic, Al Wusta Fisheries Industries), Aquaculture (Blue Waters LLC, Natural Shrimp Aquaculture, Oriental Shrimp Aquaculture), and Value Added (Marsa Al Duqm Investments, SIMAK). FDO offers aquaculture products including European seabream (5,000 tons/year via floating cages), shrimp from multiple farms (totaling ~12,000 tons/year capacity), and fingerlings (9 million/year). Commercial fishing produces small pelagic species including Arabian Horse Mackerel and Mackerel. Value-added operations include sardine and tuna canning (27,000 tons/year combined), fishmeal, and fish oil production, with Marsa Al Duqm providing port infrastructure for the sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Pelagic Fishing Operations (Arabian Horse Mackerel and Mackerel)
• European Seabream Aquaculture
• Shrimp Aquaculture (Khuwaima Farm)
• Shrimp Aquaculture (Qurun Farm)
• Fin Fish Fingerlings
• Canned Sardine and Tuna Products
• Fishmeal and Fish Oil
• Tuna Ranching (Pilot Tuna Farm)
• Marsa Al Duqm Fisheries Port and Industrial Zone Leasing

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 tons per year shrimp production capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarsa Al Duqm is SEZAD's long-term partner in Duqm. The partnership involves development of the largest commercial fishing port in Oman within the Duqm Special Economic Zone, spanning 7.5 square kilometers with fisheries industries zone.
• Duqm Free ZonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuqm Free Zone sits at the edge of the Indian Ocean and contains major port and dry docks as well as special harbour zone for fisheries industries. Home to SIMAK's sardine and tuna cannery project and Marsa Al Duqm investments.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AquaBounty Technologies: Land-based aquaculture technology company focused on genetically improved salmon and tilapia. Comparable as an emerging player applying modern aquaculture technology to premium finfish production.
• Irabia Atlantic (Bluefin Tuna Ranching): Mediterranean bluefin tuna ranching and fattening operator. Directly comparable to FDO's Blue Waters pilot tuna farm in Qurayyat in terms of species, ranching model, and high-value pelagic finfish positioning.

Direct peers

• Hassad Food: Qatar Investment Authority's food security arm, investing across aquaculture, poultry, and agribusiness globally. Hassad's sovereign-backed investment-holding model in fisheries and protein supply directly mirrors FDO's OIA mandate.
• SalMar ASA: One of the world's largest Atlantic salmon aquaculture companies, operating large-scale sea-cage finfish production. SalMar is comparable to Blue Waters' floating-cage seabream operation in technology, species, and offshore grow-out model.
• National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA): Saudi Arabia's largest aquaculture producer, similarly focused on shrimp and finfish farming for the GCC market. NAQUA is the closest regional comparator in scale, species mix, and state-aligned food-security mandate.

Broad incumbents

• Maruha Nichiro: Japan's largest fisheries and aquaculture conglomerate with global operations across fishing, farming, and processed seafood. Relevant as a global integrated seafood incumbent competing in the same canned and frozen seafood end markets.
• Thai Union Group: World's largest canned tuna producer and major shrimp processor with vertically integrated operations. Thai Union's canning scale, global distribution, and shrimp sourcing are directly relevant to FDO's SIMAK and OSA subsidiaries.
• Mowi ASA: Global salmon aquaculture leader with integrated farming, processing, and value-added product operations. Mowi's fully integrated seafood value chain is a scale benchmark for FDO's integrated catch-to-cannery model.

Regional players

• Tanmiah Food Company: Saudi-listed protein producer backed by Saudi sovereign-linked investors, focused on poultry and allied proteins for the GCC. Comparable as a sovereign-aligned food-security-listed platform serving regional protein demand.

Others

• Skretting (Nutreco): Global leader in aquaculture feed supplying salmon, shrimp, and seabream producers worldwide. Skretting is a key input supplier to FDO's shrimp and finfish subsidiaries and a critical ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oman_food_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foodcapital
• Instagraminstagram.com/fdo_oman
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fisheries Development Oman