SOHAR Port and Freezone welcomed the inaugural call of the container vessel ‘Messini’ on Friday, marking the official start of a new service to major ports in South Asia, launched jointly by Evergreen and Simatech.
The ceremony also celebrated the continued growth of SOHAR Port, having in mind that since the closure of Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat to commercial traffic in June last year, the handling capacity for container traffic at OICT in SOHAR Port has more than doubled.
“By attracting investment in Oman, we are realizing the vision of the government to create another major regional hub port which will help grow not only our captive cargo, but will also take full advantage of Oman’s strategic location for transshipment activities,” said His Excellency Sultan Al Habsi, Chairman of the Board of SOHAR Port and Freezone .
“Today’s maiden call bears witness to the steady growth in both our handling capacity and our efficiency at SOHAR Port. The continued smooth operations at OICT have brought us new lines and more connections. Regular calls of vessels like the EGL Messini are a sign of even bigger things to come,” noted Andre Toet, CEO of the Port Authority .
“We now have the capacity for 1.5 million TEUs annually through the Port and that translates directly into more business opportunities in SOHAR Freezone; as the Freezone grows as a manufacturing base, the Port will also grow its share of exports. Our aim is to build more in-country value all the way along the supply chain and today’s ceremony marks another important step on that journey, ” Jamal Aziz, CEO of SOHAR Freezone, added.