Oman's Sohar Port and Freezone is working on an ambitious master-plan that will secure its continued growth over the next 25 years, a key executive of the industrial port said in a report.

The 2040 Master-Plan, currently under finalisation, envisions new capacity expansions on both the land and marine sides of the existing 2,000-hectare industrial port, Mahdi Al Lawatia, assets development manager, Sohar Port and Freezone, was quoted as saying in an Oman Daily Observer report.

Addressing the Port Development Middle East Conference, which opened yesterday (October 17) in Musacat, Al Lawatia said that with 95 per cent of the Sohar Industrial Port Area already developed or leased to investors, we have started our master-planning activities that will continue to support the growth of the industrial port well into the future.

He added that since coming into operation just over a decade ago, the port has snagged an impressive $26 billion in investment, underscoring its continuing appeal as an industrial and logistics hub.

Al Lawatia noted that international consultants Halcrow have been roped in to assist in the “smart-planning” of the port expansion, and that future infrastructure development will proceed only when a “sound business case” for such investments is firmly established.