Nama Water Services is moving through a decisive phase in the development of Oman's water sector, having completed a major nationwide rehabilitation cycle while simultaneously advancing an ambitious expansion programme, with North Al Sharqiyah emerging as a focal point for new investment.
The first chapter of this effort centred on restoring and modernising existing infrastructure across the Sultanate. Over 20 months, the company rehabilitated approximately 1,200 kilometres of water networks and replaced more than 45,000 household connections, in a programme totalling OMR 44 million (about USD 114.4 million). Works spanned nine governorates, from Muscat (300 km) to Musandam (34 km), combining physical upgrades with the integration of digital metering and smart monitoring technologies designed to reduce water loss and sharpen operational decision-making.
Eng. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Chief Executive Officer of Operations and Maintenance, described the approach: "We are adopting an integrated approach that combines infrastructure development with advanced technologies, including proactive maintenance and digital solutions."
With that cycle largely complete, the company is now directing investment towards closing coverage gaps and building new capacity to meet growing urban demand. North Al Sharqiyah illustrates the scale of this next phase.
In the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, the second phase of a water network expansion is under way at a cost exceeding OMR 15 million (about USD 39 million), extending service to villages not reached in the first phase, including Khadra Bani Dafaa, Al Khashba and Al Muntarib, among others. The works encompass 40 kilometres of transmission lines, 217 kilometres of distribution networks, a pumping station and an elevated tank, with completion expected in the second quarter of 2027.
A larger project is also getting under way in the Wilayat of Dima and Al Taiyyin, at a cost exceeding OMR 28 million (about USD 72.8 million). Running from Al Jarda to Mahlah and reaching Al Rahba in the Wilayat of Bidbid, it will deliver 77.8 kilometres of transmission lines, 291 kilometres of distribution networks and more than 6,200 connections for existing and future homes. Both projects sit within a broader regional framework anchored by the recently inaugurated inter-governorate transmission system linking South and North Al Sharqiyah, a OMR 129 (about USD 335.5 million) million strategic project spanning 312 kilometres.
Eng. Mohammed bin Harb Al Makhmari, Director General of Sector Projects Implementation in the Eastern Province, said the investments reflect "an approach based on efficiency and sustainability, which aims to maximize the efficiency of water resource use and raise the readiness of networks."
Taken together, these efforts point in a clear direction: consolidating what exists, then building what is still needed, with digital infrastructure threading through both.
