Oman widens seafood push in Barcelona

Oman’s pavilion drew brisk business traffic at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona this week as the sultanate used one of the industry’s biggest international marketplaces to deepen export links, court investment and showcase the scale of its fisheries and seafood processing sector. The 32nd edition of the event, running from 21 to 23 April at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, is the largest in the expo’s history, bringing together exhibitors from more than 80 countries and dozens of national and regional pavilions.

Oman’s participation has been organised around a single national pavilion that brings together the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates, known as Madayn, and the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones. Eight Omani factories specialising in seafood processing and packaging are also taking part, underscoring a strategy that links government promotion with industrial capacity and private-sector export ambitions. Sohar International joined as a strategic partner for the pavilion, adding a finance and investment dimension to the country’s commercial outreach.

The Barcelona showcase comes at a time when Oman is trying to convert its coastline, fish landings and processing base into a stronger non-oil export story. Fisheries officials said the sector produced about 900,000 tonnes in 2024 with an estimated value of RO580 million, with artisanal fishing accounting for the bulk of output. Commercial fishing reached 68,000 tonnes, coastal fishing 134,000 tonnes and aquaculture production 5,507 tonnes valued at RO12.4 million. Omani seafood products are now exported to more than 84 countries, while 110 processing factories held certified quality control certificates as of 2025, giving the industry a stronger platform for market access and buyer confidence.

That scale matters at a trade fair where buyers are not only looking for volume, but for reliability, traceability and a wider range of processed and value-added products. Seafood Expo Global is designed as a meeting ground for supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, catering companies, importers, distributors and other foodservice buyers, alongside processors, equipment suppliers and logistics specialists. Organisers said more than 52,900 square metres of exhibition space had already been sold ahead of this year’s gathering, reinforcing the event’s weight as a benchmark for global seafood trade flows and competitive positioning.

For Oman, the commercial case is clear. A unified pavilion gives overseas buyers a single window into what the country can supply, from frozen and processed products to investment opportunities tied to ports, industrial zones, cold-chain infrastructure and free zones. Officials framed the Barcelona presence as part of a wider drive to open new export channels, localise value-added investment and absorb technology and best practices in fishing, processing and marketing. Madayn said its industrial cities already host 17 fisheries-related projects with cumulative investment above RO12.4 million, covering an area of more than 269,000 square metres and spanning seafood processing, preservation, aquaculture and retail activities.

The timing is also favourable for countries that can present themselves as dependable suppliers in a seafood market being reshaped by sustainability demands, tighter compliance rules and a search for resilient supply chains. This year’s Barcelona expo includes a new Aquaculture Innovation Zone focused on technology, software, equipment, animal health, welfare and sustainable feed. The conference programme is also centred on automation, machine learning, sustainable blue food policies, traceability, transparency, due diligence and supply-chain compliance, themes that increasingly influence purchasing decisions and long-term contracts.

Oman’s delegation has used that backdrop to argue that the country can offer more than raw catch volumes. The pitch is increasingly about competitiveness, certified processing, proximity to shipping lanes, industrial land, and policy alignment with Oman Vision 2040. That matters because seafood buyers and investors are placing greater weight on integrated ecosystems rather than isolated suppliers. A national pavilion that combines regulators, industrial estate planners, free-zone authorities and exporters signals an attempt to sell a full value chain, not just cartons of fish.

Barcelona also provides a reality check. Competition is intense, with heavyweight seafood exporters and processors from across Europe, Asia and the Americas using the same venue to chase contracts and defend market share. Organisers identified countries such as Canada, Chile, China, Ecuador, Norway, the United States and Vietnam among the broad international presence at the show, while the event has expanded its pavilion roster and exhibitor footprint again this year. Oman’s challenge is not simply to be visible, but to turn visibility into repeat orders, higher-margin processing growth and new investment commitments that strengthen domestic capacity.