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Sohar Port records strong cargo growth

MUSCAT, August 30, 2016

Oman-based Sohar Port and Freezone has reported that its container volume in the first half of 2016 amounted to 313,000 TEUs, in comparison to 264,000 TEUs during the same period in 2015, an increase of 18.6 per cent.

The cargo figures show strong organic growth in most sectors over the first-half of 2016, as both the port and free zone continue to play a crucial role in the diversification and globalisation of Oman’s economy, said a statement from Sohar Port and Free Zone.

Fuelled by significant infrastructure investments in the country, break bulk cargo also grew significantly at Sohar Port in the first half of 2016, up by over 43 per cent in comparison to last year; increasing from 854,000 tonnes in the first-half of 2015, to over 1,227,000 tonnes in the first half of 2016, it said.

Liquid bulk also performed well, with an increase of over 15 per cent in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period last year, increasing by well over one million tonnes to 9.99 million tonnes, it added.

Dry Bulk, which had a record first half in 2015, showed a drop of 2.7 million tonnes in the first half of 2016, to 10.6 million tonnes, due to current market conditions in the global iron and steel industry.

Overall, vessel movements at the port were up by nearly 6 per cent compared to the first-half of 2015, with over 1,300 ships calling at Sohar between January and June 2016.

The sultanate continues to invest heavily in economic diversification beyond its traditional petrochemical base, as it moves forward with Vision 2020 and plans to transform itself into a major industrial and logistics centre for the region, it said.

Mark Geilenkirchen, CEO of Sohar Port, said: “Despite any current global economic uncertainties, these figures confirm we are in the right place at the right time.”

“We will take full advantage of the prime strategic location of Sohar Port and Free zone as we continue to expand our operations and support growth in our tenants’ businesses,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: | growth | cargo | Sohar Port and Free Zone |

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