Karwa Motors is a joint venture between Mowasalat Qatar, the state-owned transport company of Qatar and Oman Investment Authority, Oman’s sovereign wealth fund.
Muscat: Buses manufactured in Oman are being used at Expo 2020, being held in Dubai in the neighbouring United Arab Emirates. The buses are made by Karwa Motors, located in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm and are being used for the first time outside Oman.
“The use of the buses from Karwa Motors comes as part of the Oman pavilion’s endeavour to promote economic gains and promote various opportunities for Omani industries,” said Mohsen bin Khamis Al Balushi, advisor at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion.
Al Balushi, who also serves as commissioner-general of Oman at the country’s pavilion at the Expo, added, “The buses will be used for transporting Omani delegations participating in various events at the Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion at Expo 2020.”
Karwa Motors is a joint venture between Mowasalat Qatar, the state-owned transport company of Qatar and Oman Investment Authority, Oman’s sovereign wealth fund. The first phase of operations at the Karwa Motors facility will focus on manufacturing buses for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha.
Due to its strategic location close to the regional market, the project is well-positioned to contribute to the success of this global event by reducing workloads, shipping times and storage costs. Moreover, this step also reflects Qatar’s vision of enhancing the contribution of neighbouring countries to the success of this global event.
Located on a 600,000 square metre site, the manufacturing facility is outfitted with the latest in technology. It also houses several key sections, including a large warehouse to store raw materials, core workshops for cutting and welding, dyeing and equipment and motor assembly, a full-fledged inspection yard and testing facility and a vast number of other auxiliary facilities.
The factory will also create job opportunities for Omanis, whether they are regular job seekers or have experience in the automotive field.
The announcement of the first Karwa-branded bus rolling off the production line in Duqm came in November 2021. The occasion also marked the start of manufacturing operations for the joint investment project between the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Qatar, which in its first phase aims to produce 500 buses annually.
At that time, Hisham Al Sheedi, the acting director of Economic Diversification Investments, said, “The Oman Investment Authority invests in such projects to not only support Oman’s economic diversification efforts but also move us closer towards realising our vision of developing Oman’s logistics sector and establishing Oman as an industrial hub for the region.
“Moreover, the project will also help us enhance our technical expertise in the automotive sector and develop supplementary industries that will support its growth, including new small and medium-sized businesses,” he added.
