Three firms to set up operations at Port of Duqm

IMPORTANT MILESTONE: The Port of Duqm signed 25-year land lease agreements with OEL, GFC and GEC

Business Reporter -

MUSCAT -

Dec 26: Port of Duqm Company SAOC yesterday signed agreements with three Omani firms for the lease of plots covering a total area of 10.5 hectares in the port’s concession area. The 25-year land lease agreements were signed with Oman Engineering LLC (OEL), Gold Fish Company (GFC) and Galfar Engineering and Contracting SAOG (GES).

The pacts represent an important milestone in the further development of the activities of the companies. For Port of Duqm, these agreements are very important as such companies will bring substantial amount of expertise and services in a numerous fields which can help also other investors in the Port and the wider Duqm area.

Oman Engineering LLC is a 100 per cent individual investor as a chairman with company construct, maintain, and operate grass root and /or revamp Oil and Gas plant, power plant and engineering oriented environmental plant in the Sultanate of Oman. In 2016, OEL delivered new equipment such as Trencher covering grading work together and addressed many Local Companies, European companies and Korean companies as well. OEL facilities comprise of about new pipe fabrication shop, Construction, Asphalt plant, Mixing Concrete plant relocated and new Administration building as a complex in Duqm industrial area. The Chairman of Oman Engineering LLC, Saleh al Habsi, commented: “We are proud to be part of the continuous development of Duqm port. Our association with the Port of Duqm will provide us the platform to develop a mega fabrication shop with state of art technology for the oil & gas sector in Oman.”

Gold Fish Company is one of the market leaders in the industry of manufacturing and exporting of steam dried fish meal and crude fish oil. The parent company of GFC operates three large scale industries in India with the consumption of raw material 1000 tonnes/day and production of 240 tonnes/day.

Considering the availability of raw material on the Oman coast and the support from Port of Duqm, GFC is now extending its manufacturing operations to Duqm. In the initial stages, GFC will start with the plant consumption of raw material 300-500 tonnes/day resulting in an output of more than 100 tonnes/day. The project will also benefit local Omani fishermen and support Omanisation as well.

Ibrahim Hussain, General Manager of Gold Fish Company, “Being a part of Duqm Port’s development is one of our major goals. Our association with the Port of Duqm’s strategic location will enable us to export our products to the global market.”

Also leasing land at Duqm Port is Galfar Engineering and Contracting SAOG, one of the largest, multi-disciplinary engineering, contracting and construction companies in the Sultanate. Established in 1972, Galfar has grown into one of the largest construction companies in the Middle East with a turnover of over $1 billion.

Chief Executive Officer of Galfar Engineering Dr Hans Erlings commented: “We look forward to assist Duqm Port in their continuous development and we seek to provide a platform to such contribution in Duqm development.”

Reggy Vermeulen, Chief Executive Officer of Port of Duqm said: “Port of Duqm is proud to support all of the three companies as major private investors in Duqm. Furthermore, these projects, on a short term, are going to support the development of cutting edge technology and on the long term will be major players in supporting the port of Duqm and its stakeholders with the state of the art technology and services.”

PDC has three major roles in Duqm, first the management and the terminal operation of the Port itself, secondly, the management of the logistics zone in the direct vicinity of the port, and thirdly, the financing, developing, managing and marketing the 2000ha of industrial and petrochemical zone. These zones enjoy an optimal integration with the Port of Duqm.