MUSCAT, June 4 - Duqm is on right track to emerge as one of the greatest Arab cities and among the top five cities for the future. Lee Chee Khian, CEO, Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (SEZAD), said this in reaction to a report by CNN News Network. Speaking to the Observer, he said: “I cannot comment on a particular report, but Duqm is on the right track to emerge as one of the top five cities for the future.” He added that the city will be identified as a hub for manufacturing petrochemicals, fisheries, ably supported by the logistics sector.
“Naturally with an increase in the number of visitors and residential population, other sectors like education, business, tourism and retail will also get a boost,” he said. According to CNN.com, “The town of Duqm was once a sleepy outpost on Oman’s central eastern seaboard. “Located roughly 530 km south of Muscat, it has been home to fishermen and their families for generations.” It added: “But things are changing fast. The town is really growing a lot especially in the last year and in the next four or five years, it’s going to see even more people coming, with more buildings and more opportunities,” the CNN quoted Vijay Handa, cluster general manager of City Hotel Duqm, one of three new hotel chains catering to businesspeople.
Hand told the Observer: “Duqm is the key focus city and the target was just right. It is growing rapidly and steadily with infrastructure in place, the new airport ready to open anytime.” “Duqm will bring healthy growth to the economy. It’s only a question of some more time now.” The CNN report said: “Duqm is earmarked as the site for a new container port, refinery, industrial zone, new airport, tourist resort, fishing harbour and residential zone for a potential 111,000 people as per the master plan. Oman sees its natural geography as a key advantage to its plans in Duqm, as well.
“The town is marketing itself as a convenient location for major shipping routes that link growing economies in India, East Africa and beyond.”
According to Stephen Thomas, CEO of Omani facilities management firm Renaissance Services, which recently opened a $197 million housing facility in the town capable of accommodating 16,900 workers, Duqm will become a “great city.”
“Already, you can see the momentum coming,” he says. “You can see the blueprint for this city”.
South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering has been operating a dry dock, where ships and tankers can be repaired in Duqm since 2012.
In a nearby area earmarked to become an industrial zone, Chinese consortium Oman Wanfang aims to invest $10.7 billion to develop a series of projects, including a power plant and SUV manufacturing plant.
Ground was also broken for an oil refinery jointly financed by Oman and Kuwait in April this year.
A spokesperson for the Duqm Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZAD) told CNN that 230 companies had invested in Duqm since 2012 with thousands of new jobs created.
Planners also see Duqm as an alternative entry and exit point for the region. According to an official of a leading hotel in Duqm, his property consistently witnessed 50 per cent occupancy in 2017.
“At our property, the occupancy level has been 50 per cent for some time, and there has been an increase in the number of new visitors or guests as new projects have started coming up in the country.”
The Renaissance Accommodation Village is hoping over 50 per cent occupancy next year with development works on the Duqm Refinery, Duqm Port, Raz Makaz storage projects expected to bring short-term and long-term visitors.
Vinod Nair
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