Brazilian meat processor JBS is expanding its manufacturing base in the Middle East with a $150 million joint venture in Oman, strengthening its exposure to fast-growing halal and food-security-driven markets.

The company has agreed to form an 80:20 joint venture with Oman Food Capital (OFC), the agri-food investment arm of the state-backed Oman Investment Authority.

The deal adds Oman to JBS’s regional network, which already includes two facilities in Saudi Arabia and one in the United Arab Emirates.

Under the agreement, the new venture will consolidate two existing Omani production assets: A’Namaa Poultry Co’s unfinished poultry plant in Ibri, northern Oman, and Al Bashayer Meat Company’s beef and lamb processing facility in Thumrait in the south. OFC is the largest single shareholder in Al Bashayer.

JBS said the equity investment would primarily fund the completion of the poultry facility, while also integrating red meat operations.

Once fully operational, the combined sites are expected to reach a static production capacity of around 300,000 tonnes annually, including daily processing capacity of roughly 1,000 head of cattle, 5,000 lambs and 600,000 chickens.

Production at the beef and lamb facility is expected to begin within six months, with the poultry site scheduled to come online within a year.

The company said the venture aligns with Oman’s Vision 2040 economic diversification strategy, with a focus on domestic food security and import substitution.

Beyond supplying the local market, JBS said the project would position Oman as a regional hub for halal meat production, targeting export markets across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

For JBS, the move underscores a broader push to deepen its presence in emerging markets where population growth, protein demand and government-backed food security initiatives are driving long-term investment.

In an investor presentation published in November, the company said Africa and the Middle East together accounted for 3% of net revenue by consumption, indicating room for expansion.

JBS owns brands including Seara and operates a global protein portfolio spanning beef, poultry, pork and value-added foods.