Oman’s Sohar port and freezone has handled over 50 million tons of cargo in 2015, an increase of 12% compared to 2014, representing an average of almost one million tons a week.
Following the first full year of additional traffic from port Sultan Qaboos, container traffic at Sohar jumped by 62% from 2014.
Sohar port also saw an increase in break bulk cargo to over 1.9 million tons, a 46% rise from 2014.
Additionally, RoRo figures saw one of the biggest increases and were up by over 90%, with over 230,000 vehicles handled in 2015, the port said.
“An average cargo throughput of close to a million tons a week in 2015, is testament to the success of our operations at Sohar. Our rapid growth further strengthens our position as the new Gateway to the Gulf region and our continued development as a very significant regional logistics hub,” Sohar’s CEO Andre Toet said.
In 2015, Sohar added a number of new direct lines to the Far East as Hanjin, Evergreen and Simatech joined the port’s schedule.
“As the port grows so does our freezone and we are seeing more and more companies coming in to leverage our excellent logistics infrastructure. Not just the proximity of a world-class port, but also new and uncongested highways to KSA and the UAE, a new cargo airport, and this year work will start on our first rail connection from Sohar to the Emirates border at Buraimi,” Jamal Aziz, CEO of Sohar freezone, said.