Muscat: Mohanna bin Musa bin Baqer, Director General of Ports at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, highlighted that Omani ports have become key enablers of economic diversification, positioning the country as a vital link on the global shipping map. The ports handled over 137 million tons of general, bulk, and liquid cargo last year—a 15% increase from 2023’s total of 119 million tons.

• Sohar Port led with a 72% rise in bulk cargo handling.
• Salalah and Suwaiq Ports saw a 10% increase each.
• Duqm Port recorded a staggering 152% surge across all cargo types, reflecting expanding operational capacity and growing demand for integrated logistics services.

Over 12,000 ships docked at Omani ports in 2024, marking a 1.5% increase. Combined, Salalah and Sohar ports handled 4.2 million TEUs, with Salalah contributing 3.3 million and Sohar over 942,000.

Ports such as Sultan Qaboos, Khasab, and Salalah welcomed 114 cruise ships carrying more than 416,000 tourists. Additionally, the ports received over 4 million heads of livestock, underlining their growing logistical capacity.

The Ministry signed a concession agreement with ASYAD Ports to develop and operate Suwaiq Port, aiming to enhance its ability to receive large vessels and diversify cargo handling capabilities. The Salalah Port container terminal expansion has also been completed, boosting capacity to 6.5 million TEUs, with upgraded berths and expanded storage enabling it to handle ultra-large container ships.

A framework agreement was also signed for commercial development at Sultan Qaboos Port, which is expected to boost activity and make it a dual hub for tourism and trade in partnership with ASYAD and Omran.