Chairman’s Message
H.E Sultan bin Salim bin Said Al Habsi Chairman, Sohar Industrial Port Company
Being the newly appointed chairman, it’s a great pleasure and honour to serve on the board of Port of Sohar; SIPC. I will endeavour to put all efforts of the board and the management of SIPC to ensure a good investment climate for both our current and future tenants
T
he port of Sohar has achieved a major milestone in 2012. It was 10 years ago when the special purpose joint venture company (50/50) between the Government of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam was established. Sohar Port with its unique location outside the Strait of Hormuz has attracted major investments totaling US$ 14 billion over these past 10 years. Major international terminal operating companies have established themselves, like Hutchison Whampoa (containers), Oiltanking Odfjell (oil & chemicals) and C.Steinweg (general cargo). Major industries have started their operations in the port of Sohar, like Vale (pelletizing iron ore), Jindal Shadeed (iron briquettes), Oman Refineries & Petrochemical Industries (ORPIC), Oman Methanol, Sohar Aluminium (Rio Tinto Alcan) and Larsen & Toubro’s Modular Fabrication & Heavy Engineering. Next to these developments, Freezone Sohar has taken momentum with the first tenants building their business in the Freezone. A massive 4500 Hectares of free zone land is readily available to attract national and international business. As a result of Sohar’s success, SIPC is engaged in the master plan of the greater Sohar Industrial Zone, which is being branded as the Gateway, a 300 square kilometer space encompassing the port, free zone, airport, intermodal terminal and other light industrial areas. The Sohar gateway is also connected by an excellent road infrastructure with other economic zones in the GCC and beyond. Sohar through its achievements is poised to grow as a formidable trade and manufacturing hub in the Upper Gulf region. Great emphasis is placed on road
connectivity into the GCC, particularly access to the Saudi Arabian market as well as simplifying and modernizing customs processes through its terminals and border posts. This will create future business opportunities thus creating further job opportunities and prosperity for the people of Oman, specifically the population of North Batinah as well as helping develop local small and medium companies. The government has made a decision to consolidate the commercial cargo in Sohar, focusing the Port Sultan Qaboos on tourism and cruise activities. The shift of cargo has to be executed in a prudent manner by taking into account the interests of shipping lines, shipping agents, traders and business houses whilst creating opportunities for attracting main liners and larger scale vessels for general cargo and ro-ro to the Sultanate of Oman. The establishment of the International Maritime College Oman (IMCO) in the Port of Sohar has evolved as a wellrespected educational facility of international acclaim and is seen as an essential vehicle to train and develop Omanis both academically and vocationally in the area of logistics, transport, shipping and industrial processing, which will provide a trained local workforce to the industry in Sohar and Al Batinah area. Being the newly appointed chairman, it’s a great pleasure and honour to serve on the board of Port of Sohar (SIPC). On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, I congratulate SIPC on its remarkable achievements thus far. I will endeavour to put all efforts of the board and the management of SIPC to ensure we maintain a good investment climate for both our current and future tenants.
7 Port of Sohar 2013