RO 177 million worth of projects inaugurated at Duqm SEZ

BUSINESS REPORTER

MUSCAT, FEB 14

The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) celebrated the inauguration of the marine fishing port, the Freight Services and Customs Terminal, and the main roads No. 1 and 5 at Duqm Port. The ceremony was held under the auspices of Lieutenant-General Hassan bin Mohsen al Sharqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs, in the presence of a number of public and private sectors officials.

In opening remarks, Eng Ahmed bin Ali Akaak, acting CEO of SEZAD, said: "With the completion of the Marine Fishing Port, the Shipping and Customs Services Station, and the main highways at Duqm Port, the primary and fundamental infrastructure system in SEZAD is completed. He explained that the total cost of the three new projects amounted to about RO 177 million."

"SEZAD represents a model of economic integration," Akaak continued, "as it includes several economic and service development zones: a fishing port, a multipurpose port, a dry dock for ship repair and development, multiuse areas for tourism, industry, and logistics, and a modern residential city. All of these are served by a road transport network that connects Duqm to the various zones in Oman."

Fisheries hub

The Duqm Fisheries Port – the largest commercial fishing port in Oman – covers 7.5 square kilometers and is built to accommodate the largest international commercial fishing vessels. Dredged to a depth of 10 meters, itt is made up of two 3.3 km long breakwaters and 1.3 km of permanent berths. Six floating berths and a dedicated quay for Coast Guard police boats have been made available at well.

Fishery factories, fish sales outlets, artisanal and commercial fishing vessel servicing areas, and a fisherman's training center are all housed within SEZAD's fishing port. To facilitate fish transport vehicles, a network of paved roads has also been built. Both the fish and food industries complex and the fishing port span 7.8 and 7.5 km2, respectively. Both are important regional economic drivers that will help draw both domestic and foreign companies with a focus on fishing and related industries. Environmentally friendly green energy initiatives are something that the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) is also looking to accommodate at the Duqm fishing port.

The Duqm Fisheries Port will host commercial facilities for Marsa Al Duqm Investment Company, which is a consortium led by a number of Oman Investment Authority companies, represented by Fisheries Development Oman (FDO), Asyad Ports, Al Wusta Fisheries Industries Company and Oman Food Investment Holding Company (Nitaj). The consortium also includes the French Port of Loriente, which is one of the largest fishing ports in Europe.

Cargo and Customs Services Terminal

The Customs Services Terminal is one of several projects undertaken as part of the third package of works at the Port of Duqm. It consists of buildings designated for the Port of Duqm Company. The station consists of a one-stop-shop building, buildings for truck registration, transit permits, and those designated for the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources.

Besides hosting a medical clinic affiliated with the Ministry of Health, the station also has customs gates for the movement of vehicles into and out of the port, management of the import and export procedures, and utility facilities such power plants, sewage stations, and firefighting water tanks.

New main roads at Duqm Port

Billed as vital projects, Roads 1 and 2 connect the Port of Duqm area with the refinery, city center and other strategic projects implemented in the Heavy & Medium Industries Zones. Road 1 connects the port and the Dry Dock with National Road 32, which facilitates access to the port projects for those coming from the center of Duqm and from the Governorate of Muscat via the Muscat – Sinaw – Duqm road. Thus, the road is the third thoroughfare leading to the Port of Duqm and the dry dock, while Road 5 stretches from the existing crossroads connecting both roads 1 and 6 and ends at the Duqm Port Bulk Liquid Berth.