LONDON : SOHAR Freezone also secured sixth place globally in artificial intelligence readiness and tenth place globally in post-investment services.

These rankings reflect the competitiveness of the investment environment at SOHAR Freezone and the integrated ecosystem it provides, combining the port and the freezone while connecting investors to infrastructure, logistical services, and global markets to support business establishment, growth, and expansion.

The strategic location of SOHAR Port and Freezone on the Sea of Oman serves as one of its most prominent competitive advantages, alongside a maritime connectivity network reaching international markets and leveraging commercial agreements signed by the Sultanate of Oman. This provides investors with access to key markets across the GCC countries, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Dr. Raid Mohammed Al Rubaiey, CEO of SOHAR Port and Freezone, stated that investment decisions are now based on factors extending beyond cost and location, foremost among them business agility, speed of market access, regulatory clarity, and the capability to serve multiple markets from a single base. He noted that this is what is being strengthened at SOHAR Port and Freezone through an integrated industrial and logistical ecosystem enabling investors to establish, operate, and expand their projects with confidence and efficiency.

He added that the focus in the zone is not limited to attracting new investments, but extends to building long-term industrial partnerships, supporting the growth of existing projects, and enhancing their integration into global supply and value chains. He expressed that this recognition is seen as an incentive to continue developing services and enhancing Sohar’s competitiveness to keep pace with trade and industrial shifts and achieve sustainable value for investors and the national economy.

For his part, Dr. Said Khalifa Al Quraini, Director General of Investment Sector Development at the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ), said that this recognition reflects the vital role played by SOHAR Freezone and the progress achieved by the Sultanate of Oman in building an investment environment that combines policy clarity and stability, infrastructure competitiveness, and integrated government support.

He explained that amid increasing selectivity of global capital, investors require greater clarity regarding destinations where they can invest with confidence over the long term. The Sultanate of Oman’s methodology is based on consolidating this confidence while simultaneously developing investment platforms such as SOHAR Port and Freezone, which connect international investments with industrial growth, trade, and economic diversification.

Securing tenth place globally in post-investment services reflects SOHAR Freezone’s commitment to providing a business environment that supports investors across various stages of project establishment, operation, and expansion.

Investors benefit from a legislative framework offering long-term investment incentives, including the possibility of 100 percent foreign ownership, customs exemptions in accordance with applicable laws, and digital services provided by the “Tasaheel” platform to streamline transactions, simplify procedures, and accelerate their completion.

Relying on these fundamentals, SOHAR Freezone continues to attract international investments in advanced and sustainable industries, supporting the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and contributing to broadening the local industrial base and enhancing linkage with global value chains. Among the most prominent recent investments is the project by Germany’s MAK Group, valued at approximately RO 212 million (USD 550 million), to relocate existing facilities for producing purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from the Port of Rotterdam to SOHAR Port and Freezone.

In the realm of digital transformation, securing sixth place globally in artificial intelligence readiness reflects the progress made in developing digital capabilities and deploying modern technologies to elevate operational efficiency and improve services.

Prominent among these initiatives is the “Marasi” port operations management system, which contributed to reducing vessel turnaround time by 15 percent, and the “Makan” interactive geographic platform, which allows investors to review industrial land and remotely evaluate suitable sites for projects.
Alongside digital advancement, SOHAR Port and Freezone benefits from its integration with the transport and logistics network in the Sultanate of Oman, connecting companies to regional and international markets via maritime and land connections. Future connectivity through the “Hafeet Rail” project will enhance logistical connectivity between the Sultanate of Oman and the United Arab Emirates, providing more flexible options for cargo movement and accessing key markets with greater efficiency.

This achievement comes with support from the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) and Asyad Group, and in cooperation with investors and partners who contribute to strengthening Sohar’s position as a destination for global industries and investments.

SOHAR Freezone continues to offer spaces and opportunities for the growth of industrial projects and investment expansion, leveraging the integration of services, infrastructure, and commercial and logistical trade networks, thereby bolstering its appeal to international investments and supporting the development of value-added industries.

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