Tuesday 20 / January / 2026
Muscat: The Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has made a new scientific milestone by producing spirulina algae in commercial quantities for the first time in its history.
The achievement reflects the development of research and innovation aimed at supporting national trends in a knowledge-based and sustainable economy.
A research team from the SQU and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources takes credit for the project, which was funded by the Agriculture and Fisheries Development Fund (AFDF).
The project aims to import strains of spirulina that are more adaptive to the climate of the Sultanate of Oman and more productive.
The breeds are studied for their nutritional content, notably the protein content of the cultivated species with optimal economic production. It culminates in composing and manufacturing spirulina-enhanced animal and fish feeds and testing the same in accordance with scientific principles.
The research project, led by Dr. Hafez Ali Al Mahrouqi, Supervisor of the Algae Unit at the Agricultural Experiment Station of the SQU, received a grant of OMR80,000 from the AFDF.
It affirms the role of the SQU in converting research into applied projects that generate economic and developmental impact. The project supports the trends of sustainability and food security in the Sultanate of Oman in line with Oman Vision 2040.
Due to its high nutritional value, spirulina serves as one of the most widely cultivated microalgae in the world.
It consists of between 60 and 65 percent protein mass. This makes the species an important nutritional supplement for humans and animals. Its mass production will contribute to the growth of the sector of aquaculture and animal farming.
This type of algae is distinguished for its ability to adapt to local environmental conditions and its aptitude to grow in salt water that has seawater salinity.
The research opens up broad prospects for optimising the use of seawater and lands in the vicinity of the Arabian Sea that are unsuitable for traditional agriculture. -ONA
