Welcome to the Madayn Research Chair for the Development of Industrial Estates and Free zones website at Sultan Qaboos University.  The Research Chair was founded in March 2019 to conduct quality research and studies that provide business solutions which are contextual, focused, and tailored towards the challenges of industrial estates and free zones in Oman. The Research Chair has a talented staff with a mix of scientific and technical skills. It focuses on several research clusters in partnership with renowned scientists from different colleges and centers, in order to address a diverse set of industry-related themes through both basic and applied research. The main focus of the Research Chair is on cross-disciplinary and synergic research in areas including:

• Environmental monitoring  and assessment on industrial development in industrial estates
• Industrial sector studies and the impact of industrial estates on communities
• Sustainable development models for industrial estates and energy conservation
• The quality and efficiency of services and facilities at industrial estates
• Medium- and long-term trends in the development of industrial estates
• The training and development needs of human resources for the manufacturing sector
• Logistics and supply chain issues

Vision:
Building indigenous research capacity in areas related to industrial estates and free zones

Mission:
Providing quality research and studies in the field of industrial estates and free zones by conducting applied research, academic events, and outreach research activities that directly contribute to the sultanate’s social and economic development.

Objectives:

• Conduct quality research and studies that provide business solutions which are contextual, focused, and tailored towards the challenges of industrial estates and free zones in Oman.
   
• Develop and support applied research related to industrial estates and free zones in Oman.
   
• Help guide policymakers, business leaders, decision makers and other concerned stakeholders in making informed decisions about industrial estates and free zones in Oman in order to contribute to social and economic development.
   
• Prepare Omani researchers and experts to perform organized research and creative work in areas related to development strategies, sectoral performance, diversification, employment, productivity, environmental impact and so on.
   
• Supervise graduate students and prepare Omani researchers and experts to perform organized and creative work in areas related to industrial estates and free zones.
   
• Contribute to the development of human capital related to industrial estates and free zones by organizing workshops and other specialized training courses and events. 
   
• Support and enhance the university’s position in the fields of industrial estates and free zones locally, regionally, and internationally through arranging local seminars and international symposia and conferences. 
   
• Help fulfill national development plans as they relate to industry and trade as outlined in Oman’s development strategies and the Five-Year Development Plan for 2016-2020.
   
• Support SQU faculty and students in acquiring knowledge and skills in areas related to industrial estates and free zones.

https://madayn.om/EN/Pages/home.aspx

Public Establishment for Industrial Estates – Madayn

The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates – Madayn was established in 1993 to enhance Oman’s position as a leading regional centre of manufacturing, ICT, innovation and entrepreneurship excellence. Madayn aims at attracting industrial investments and providing continued support, through regionally and globally competitive strategies, good infrastructure, value adding services, and easy governmental processes. Today, Madayn is responsible for developing and managing seven prime industrial cities namely Sur, Suhar, Raysut, Nizwa, Al Buraimi, Al Rusayl, Samail, in addition to the Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), and Al Mazunah Free Zone.

This research is fully funded by Public Establishment for Industrial Estates –Madayn.  Madayn is the flagship industrial development agency of the government of Oman. It is responsible for developing and managing prime industrial cities in different parts of the country. As of now, Madayn owns and manages seven industrial cities at Rusayl, Raysut, Sohar, Nizwa, Buraimi, Sur and Samail. This is besides the Al Mazyunah Free Zone at the border with Yemen and the Knowledge Oasis Muscat, the first technology park in the country. Madayn has more than 2000 manufacturing firms in its industrial cities spread over 100 million sq.m of land area in different parts of the country. It also has a business incubator – National Business Centre, the Industrial Innovation Centre and two private investment firms - Shumookh Investment & Services and Mubadarah, under its umbrella. Through its recent efforts to set up the Madayn Industrial Academy, Madayn is aiming at creating adequate and quality local human resources for the industrial sector. For more details, please visit: madayn.om

Research Themes

• Industrial air pollution
• Mitigation of greenhouse gas emission
• Water consumption management
• High resolution local waste water and air monitoring
• Industrial waste and waste water treatment, recycling and reuse
• Noise pollution
• Health risk assessment

Research Themes

• Energy conservation
• Energy efficiency technologies
• Energy audit
• Energy policy focus on industrial estates and free zones

Research Themes

• Societal change at micro and macro levels
• Technological change
• Labour markets
• Impact of globalization and competitiveness
• Managerial practices and employment relations
• Employment and Omanization

Research Themes

• Sustainable manufacturing
• Supply chain
• Cleaner production
• Sustainability performance measurement and management
• Quality and efficiency of services and facilities at industrial estates
• Competitiveness and positioning of Oman’s industrial estates 
• Contribution of industrial estates to Oman’s socio-economic development and diversification
• Medium and long-term trends in the development of industrial estates 
• Policies and procedures associated with Oman’s industrial estates