Oman is a net exporter of stones with exports indicating an increasing trend since 2011. There has been fairly significant explosion of the stone industry in Oman. Key Omani marble and stone producers include Al Rawas Stone & Granite; Al Turki Enterprises; Hamood Al Rashidi & Bros Trading Company; Gulf Mining Materials Company; Al Shanfari Marble Company; Natural Stones, and Al-Zerabi Trading Establishment.

Marble production stood at 1,629,342 MT valued at US$ 52 million in 2015. Oman produced 12,156,031 MT of limestone and 720,213 MT of laterite. Oman needs a stone Testing Lab with state-of-the-art facilities that will help buyers choose the right stone where the physical characteristics, chemical composition and mineral constituents are made known to the users for zeroing in on the ‘best’ according to the nature of a project.

Oman can gain significantly from its vast limestone and marble wealth if suitably commercialised. There is a big demand for crusher and grinding equipment, mobile crusher plants, conveyor belts, feeders, mills for quarrying and machinery like CNC water jet machines, 6 Axis CNC Diamond wire saw machines, 5 Axis stone working station, gang saw, bridge cutting machines, block cutters, single head Polishing Machines, side cutting machines, lathe machines, EOT cranes, gantry cranes have to be in place.

There is a big demand for firms dealing in cutting and polishing of white marble. Stone Technology will be an international exposition on stone industry which will showcase the world of natural dimensional stones, ancillary products and services comprehensively.

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