Gypsum Board Factory in Oman: Raw Gypsum Next Door

A gypsum board factory in Oman sits next to one of the world’s largest gypsum export businesses, about 14 million t of ore in 2025. Rock is the easy part. The harder questions are that reported board capacity already exceeds local need, large new projects were announced in 2026, and India’s anti-dumping duty hits the main export market.

This article is desk research from the public sources listed at the end. The logic of processing rock where it is mined is attractive, and Omani policy supports it, but it needs testing against the board market. For general method, see reading the gypsum board market.

Gypsum in Dhofar: How Much Rock Is There?

USGS puts Oman’s mine production at 14 million t in 2025, third in the world and double its 2019 estimate. Local reporting fills in the geography.

• The Times of Oman reports that a significant part of the mining is in the Ruwaya area of Thumrait, with 36 quarries and 5 factories.
• Global Gypsum reported in 2017 that reserves were about 1 billion t, in the south and in northern areas including Al Shuwaimiyah, Thumrait, Sadah, Ghaba and Buraimi.
• Minerals Development Oman has reported further large reserves at Shaleem.
• Kunooz Gypsum’s Salalah mine has 2.3 million t a year of capacity.

Set against that, a board line uses very little. Our 3,000,000 m² a year reference line (12 mm board) needs about 25,000 t of pure gypsum a year, based on 7.0 kg of stucco per m². That is roughly 0.2% of national output, and about 1% of the Kunooz mine’s capacity. Volume is no constraint. Quality and access are, so test a working-face sample for purity, clay, anhydrite and chloride before you fix the calciner. Our article on natural and synthetic gypsum explains what wallboard-grade rock needs.

The Export Rules Changed in 2026

This is the newest local fact, and studies written before it may be out of date.

According to the Times of Oman, the Omani Minerals Trading Company, the trading arm of Minerals Development Oman, was set up under Ministerial Decision No. 18/2025. It holds the exclusive right to export gypsum and chrome ore from June 2026. Local sales fall outside its authority. It has already shipped more than 2.83 million t to 10 countries, on 54 vessels from Salalah, and its average selling price is reported to have risen.

For a board plant, this has three effects:

1. Local buyers stand apart from the export channel. This is the core of the case for a plant in Oman: rock bought locally does not go through the export company. Have a lawyer confirm how that applies to your contract and zone, particularly a free zone.
2. A plant abroad that relies on Omani rock has a new counterparty. This affects your competitors in India, the UAE and South Africa. They may pay more or face less flexibility, which could widen the advantage of processing in Oman. We cannot measure that yet.
3. Direct quarry access is a separate route. The Ministry of Energy and Minerals launched the Taqa digital platform, which is reported to offer investor packages, with gypsum quarries among the first sites studied. Many investors will find a long-term contract simpler than running a quarry.

Gypsum Board Manufacturers in Oman and New Projects

This market is moving quickly, and that is what could change your decision.

Global Gypsum also reported deals for two wallboard plants in Salalah Free Zone in 2019, and that Gulf Mining Group was considering a plant in 2017. Announced is not the same as built, and we could not confirm which of these make up the 35.5 million m². Before anything else, drive to Salalah and find out what is really running.

Our estimate makes the point. On a 2025 population of 5.5 million (World Bank), 35.5 million m² is about 6.5 m² per person, close to US sales of about 7 m² per person. Add GypsOm’s design maximum and it reaches about 14 m² per person. Oman is an export base, not a market of that size.

Oman Gypsum Board Trade Data Need Checking

Under HS 6809.11, Oman’s own record for 2023 looks striking: about 610,000 t of exports and 28,000 t of imports. Partner records tell a different story.

The UAE flows agree closely. India and Qatar do not, as Oman’s figures are about three and five times larger. At a working estimate of 9 kg/m², 610,000 t would be about 68 million m², nearly double the reported capacity. We do not know the cause, and mis-coding is only one possibility. A cautious reading uses the partners’ numbers: about 172,000 t to India and Qatar, or roughly 19 million m² by our estimate. This is a good reason never to take a single country’s trade figure at face value.

Three conclusions hold on any version of the data:

• India and Qatar dominate. Oman supplied about 89% of Qatar’s recorded imports and about 58% of India’s.
• Imports are small but real. About 28,000 t equals about 3.1 million m² by our estimate, almost all from the UAE. Our reference line would equal roughly that entire volume.
• Import replacement is unlikely to support a new plant by itself. Those flows may be specific products or customers, and Salalah is far from the northern market around Muscat. Distance within Oman may explain why UAE plants sell into it.

India’s Duty on Omani Gypsum Board

India is both Oman’s largest rock customer and its largest board market, and its trade remedies are aimed at Oman.

• Global Gypsum reported in January 2024 that the anti-dumping duty on wallboard from China and Oman remains in place until the end of 2028, with a separate rate for each producer. Reported rates on Omani board were higher than those on Chinese board.
• A duty on gypsum tiles from China and Oman was recommended in 2023, on a case brought by Saint-Gobain India.
• A duty on calcined gypsum from several countries, including Oman, runs to 31 December 2026. Check whether it has been renewed before you plan to sell stucco.

Producer-specific rates mean a new exporter must find out which rate applies to it. Take trade-law advice on this before you commit to any export volume, and test your model with no Indian sales. Consider Qatar, Yemen, East Africa and Southeast Asia separately, and also ask whether those markets are building their own plants.

Salalah Port, Standards and Utilities

Port. Salalah handles the rock trade, and a mobile shiploader was ordered in 2018 for gypsum and other bulk cargoes. Board is a different cargo. It needs dry storage and careful handling, and usually moves by container or breakbulk. Ask the port and free zone about those terms specifically. Salalah is also a long way by road from Muscat, so model freight for that market against UAE supply through the north.

Standard. The Gulf Standardization Organization lists GSO EN 520:2004+A1:2021, and its store links to Oman, but the page does not confirm Oman’s adoption, so ask Oman’s standards authority. Export markets may set the real requirement: a line selling into India, the Gulf and Southeast Asia may need to meet EN 520, ASTM C1396 and other national rules.

Power and gas. Oman is listed at 230 V, 50 Hz. Our reference line has 600–800 kW installed, uses 1.4–1.8 million kWh and burns 1.5–2.0 million m³ of natural gas a year. We did not find a public gas allocation or tariff for gypsum plants in Dhofar, so ask the free zone for it in writing. The dryer’s peak gas flow is the key number. See how the board dryer works.

Environment. The Times of Oman reports that the ministry monitors waste, emissions, water protection and environmental impact assessments in the sector. Include the study and water source in your plan, since a dry coastal site may depend on desalinated or trucked water.

Where a Gypsum Board Factory in Oman Could Win

Compare your plan with these honest options.

Whichever you choose, run a cost model with your own quotations, as explained in gypsum board plant cost. The rock cost advantage is real but moderate, since rock is just one of several cost lines. Paper, additives, fuel and freight to the customer all still count, and most paper is likely to be imported.

FAQ

Are there gypsum board manufacturers in Oman?

Yes. The Times of Oman reports domestic capacity of about 35.5 million m² a year. USG Boral and Zawawi Minerals opened an 8 million m² a year plant in Salalah Free Zone in 2015. Etex and Kunooz announced a joint venture in 2026, and Integrated Gypsum Company signed for a site in Salalah Free Zone. Confirm current ownership and status locally.

Why not simply export gypsum rock from Oman?

Many companies do, and it works: about 14 million t left Oman in 2025. Board adds value within the country, which suits Oman Vision 2040 and is the stated aim of recent projects. However, board needs paper, gas, skilled operators and a sales network. Its trade also faces duties that rock does not, so the higher value carries more risk.

Does the new gypsum export company affect a local board plant?

Directly, less than it affects exporters. Times of Oman reports that the Omani Minerals Trading Company has exclusive rights to export gypsum from June 2026, while local sales fall outside its authority. A local plant should therefore still contract with a quarry. Confirm how this works for a free zone, which may not count as local.

What is the market for gypsum board in Oman?

The domestic market is small compared with capacity: about 5.5 million people and a reported 35.5 million m² of capacity. Recorded imports of about 28,000 t in 2023, mostly from the UAE, suggest that some demand is served from the north. Interview distributors in Muscat before you size a line for local sale.

How much gypsum does a board factory in Oman need?

Our 3,000,000 m² a year reference line uses about 21,000 t of stucco, which is about 25,000 t of pure gypsum, plus an allowance for rock purity. That is a small fraction of output from one large Dhofar mine. A long-term supply contract matters more than the tonnage, along with consistent chemistry from one quarry face.

Planning a Gypsum Board Line in Oman?

When rock, gas and buyers are confirmed, the gypsum board production line page shows the sections and consumption of our reference design, and the gypsum board plant setup guide covers the steps. YuxingCorp is a Singapore company that compares lines from vetted manufacturers in China. Import clearance, duties and local registration stay with the buyer.

Sources

• US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Gypsum: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-gypsum.pdf
• US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2020: Gypsum: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2020/mcs2020-gypsum.pdf
• Times of Oman, “Oman’s gypsum exports reached 14.2mn tonnes in 2025” (September 2026): https://timesofoman.com/article/176832-omans-gypsum-exports-reached-142mn-tonnes-in-2025
• Oman Observer, Etex and Kunooz joint venture (February 2026)
• Oman Observer, integrated gypsum products project (October 2026): https://www.omanobserver.om/article/1198793/business/economy/pact-signed-for-integrated-gypsum-products-project
• Global Gypsum, Oman news archive: https://www.globalgypsum.com/news/itemlist/tag/Oman
• Global Gypsum, Oman news archive, earlier items: https://www.globalgypsum.com/news/itemlist/tag/Oman?start=20
• Global Gypsum, Kunooz Oman Holding and Etex (February 2026)
• Global Gypsum, Salalah plant inaugurated (May 2015)
• Global Gypsum, Salalah Free Zone deals (August 2019): https://globalgypsum.com/news/1685-salalah-free-zone-signs-deals-for-two-gypsum-plants
• Global Gypsum, Gulf Mining Group plan (January 2017): https://globalgypsum.com/news/1403-gulf-mining-group-planning-to-build-wallboard-plant-in-salalah
• World Bank WITS, Oman HS 680911 exports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/OMN/year/2023/tradeflow/Exports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank WITS, Oman HS 680911 imports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/OMN/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank WITS, India HS 680911 imports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/IND/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank WITS, Qatar HS 680911 imports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/QAT/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank WITS, UAE HS 680911 imports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ARE/year/2023/tradeflow/Imports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank WITS, UAE HS 680911 exports, 2023: https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ARE/year/2023/tradeflow/Exports/partner/ALL/product/680911
• World Bank, population data: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/ARE;OMN;ZAF/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?format=json&mrnev=1
• GSO EN 520:2004+A1:2021: https://www.gso.org.sa/store/standards/GSO:790021/
• World Standards, voltage and frequency by country: https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/