CimbriaTMS Awards 2023ViganSailors SocietyBühler GmbHGeneva Dry
  • Telestack
  • Vigan
  • Geneva Dry
  • Cimbria
  • Port of South Louisiana
  • Van Aalst

Sohar tranships 50MT in 2019

Sohar tranships 50MT in 2019

(Posted on 06/03/20)

The Omani city of Sohar has played a role in global sea trade for centuries. It’s even said that Sinbad the Sailor came from there. The history of today’s modern sea port, SOHAR Port & Freezone, is somewhat more recent. This is a 50/50 joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the government of the Sultanate of Oman. The port in the north of Oman welcomed its first seagoing vessel in 2004. Fifteen years on, over three thousand vessels call at Sohar every year and in 2019 over 50 million tonnes of cargo were transhipped.

The success of Sohar Port – one of the world’s fastest growing ports – is partly due to its favourable location. Sohar lies between Dubai and Muscat in the Gulf of Oman and is on the most important shipping route between Europe, India and the rest of Asia. “Sohar is considered to be the gateway to the Gulf States”, stated Batti Alshibli, who has worked with the port since its establishment in 2004. He has been Harbour Master since 2014 and is part of the management team. The various Gulf States can be reached via Sohar. The road network and the future railway system provide direct overland connections with Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Alshibli: “This enables people to avoid the additional costs associated with passing through the busy Strait of Hormuz.”

The port is diversified and tranships iron ore, steel products, oil and oil products, as well as containers. The surrounding industrial area accommodates a refinery, power plants, a methane plant and an aluminium smelter. SOHAR Food Zone is a recent newcomer: it is the first agro-bulk terminal in the region with facilities for food production, packaging and logistics. The port has a favourable effect on the local economy. Some nine thousand direct and thirty thousand indirect jobs have been created, and investments in the port run to some 26 billion American dollars. It is also the location of a training institute from which over a thousand port management, trade and logistics students graduate each year. “The port of Sohar makes a substantial contribution to our country’s total gross domestic product. As a strategic project, the port has proven successful with respect to jobs and employment for Oman”, stated Ali Alyamani,

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is involved in the development of SOHAR Port & Freezone and, since 2003, has held a fifty per cent share in the Sohar Industrial Port Company. The Sohar port authority is the landlord of SOHAR Port and responsible for managing and development port infrastructures. “The collaboration between SOHAR and Rotterdam can be recognised from strategic and operation levels. The joint venture has contributed to the developments of SOHAR Port rapidly”, explained Alshibli. “We have also expanded our commercial network via Rotterdam and have succeeded in attracting multinationals including Vale, Hutchinson and Steinweg.”

Knowledge transfer is another important aspect of the joint venture and this works in both directions, said Ali Alyamani. “During the early developments phase, port-related knowledge and experience was very rare in Oman, for instance knowledge in port master planning and design, marine infrastructure developments and management. The matured level of Sohar expertise in port related aspects are now also being transferred to the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

Expansion projects

Like Rotterdam, Sohar uses the Navigate system to enable smarter container transport planning. “The collaboration with Rotterdam offers us the advantage that we can closely monitor digitisation and automation trends, because Rotterdam is one of the pioneers in this”, Alshibli noted. “We are currently working on expansion projects with the Port of Rotterdam team, including Sohar South Phase 2”, said Alyamani. Both ports will continue cooperating on future-proof port management systems, maintenance strategies and sustainability for the foreseeable future.

Alshibli: “The cooperation with Rotterdam is productive for Sohar in many respects. We are extremely pleased with this partnership.”

Latest News

New customs declaration process launched in Belgium

(Posted on 07/05/25)

Inbound Release Platform (IRP) has been operating since 1 April 2025. This innovative solution, which... Read more


Kale to develop Oman’s national port communication system

(Posted on 07/05/25)

Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale), along with its local partner Novel Muscat, has been awarded the contract... Read more


Estonian-German ports strengthen bilateral relations

(Posted on 01/05/25)

Participants at the first German-Estonian Port Days, have demonstrated the impressive way in which bilateral... Read more


Teesport Offshore Gateway - a multi-million pound investment in the River Tees

(Posted on 29/04/25)

One of the UK’s major port groups, PD Ports has announced its ambition to develop one of the UK... Read more


Port of Amsterdam achieves CO? reduction target

(Posted on 28/04/25)

Port of Amsterdam has achieved its CO? reduction target. The Port of Amsterdam aimed to reduce its corporate... Read more


NSBT celebrates launch of new third berth in Freetown

(Posted on 22/04/25)

Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal (NSBT) is celebrating the operational launch of a new third berth... Read more


Greenhouse gas emissions in port of Rotterdam down by 8%

(Posted on 17/04/25)

Greenhouse gas emissions at companies in the port decreased by 1.7 Mton (8%) in 2024 compared to 2023... Read more


Raw materials delivered to British Steel through Immingham

(Posted on 15/04/25)

Following the UK government’s passing of an emergency law to take control of British Steel, vital... Read more


Rotterdam takes important step in making shipping more sustainable

(Posted on 15/04/25)

Trammo, OCI and James Fisher Fendercare have successfully conducted an ammonia bunkering pilot between... Read more


Bulgarian port’s first order for new Konecranes Gottwald MHCs

(Posted on 03/04/25)

BMF Port Burgas AD (BMF), one of Bulgaria’s largest port operators, has ordered two Generation... Read more


TelestackPort of StocktonPort of South LouisianaVan AalstTBA Group
  • Bühler GmbH
  • TBA Group

Subscribe to our newsletter

Keep up to date with the latest global news in bulk cargo handling and shipping