PORT OF DUQM

Situated in the south-east of Oman and located close to the Sultanate’s major oil & gas and mining projects, the Port of Duqm is a joint-venture between Asyad and Consortium Antwerp Port.

Benefitting in a first phase from a 2,200 metre commercial quay and an 18 metre draft able to handle all vessels, Duqm is set to become a world-class, multipurpose commercial gateway and trans-shipment hub. Duqm is ideally positioned to serve as a one-stop gateway to the Middle East – especially for goods originating in Asia – and the whole operation is designed so that it can be rapidly expanded as market share grows. The area is also known for its abundant fish resources, and as a result, Duqm also has ambitions to become a hub for fish processing industries and aquaculture projects.

The Port of Duqm, which has been in operation since 2012, has already built up extensive expertise in the handling of break bulk, project cargo as well as dry bulk cargoes. The port, which operated one year after the opening of the neighbouring dry dock, benefits from a multi-purpose feeder line linking Duqm with the main regional ports, simplifying container movement in and out of the port and cutting consignment times. The 2020 phase 1 completion date is rapidly approaching, allowing the port to move from a ‘pre-development phase’ into a complete ‘operational phase’.  As from then, the commercial quay will shelter a  fully fledged container terminal able to grow to a capacity of 1.5 Million TEU, a RORO terminal, a multipurpose terminal, a navy terminal and a 5 Million MT/annum dry bulk terminal accommodating exports of minerals abundantly available in the direct vicinity of the Port.  The liquid bulk terminal, developed in the northern part of the port, consisting of 70ha of quay land as well as 7 berths, will be commissioned in 2020, well ahead of the start up of the Duqm Refinery, scheduled to be operational in 2023. This will allow Port of Duqm to develop alternative liquid bulk projects as well much earlier. Asyad 

In addition, the Port of Duqm offers a wide range of services such as the availability of MARPOL facilities, fresh water supply, fuel bunkering, ship-to-ship transfers at one of its multiple anchorage areas and domestic waste collection & treatment.  Port of Duqm is already connected to Oman’s new USD 8 billion integrated road system  – allowing rapid distribution of freight across the expanding GCC market.

Further advantages to customers include the fact that the Port is fully integrated in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) – a 2,000 KM² development divided into 8 main areas – an area rapidly emerging as one of the GCC’s most competitive and efficient logistics hubs.  Apart from the world class port, this includes a 230,000 b/d oil refinery, a heavy, medium and light industries complex, a residential and commercial area, a tourism area and an international airport. Investors benefit from 100% foreign ownership, exemption from income tax for up to 30 renewable years from the date of starting the business, Usufruct right of State land up to 99 years renewable, 0% import and re-export duties and 0% personal income tax for employees.

International businesses are lining up to take advantage of the benefits SEZAD has to offer. Total investment committed to Duqm by countries including China, India, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Lebanon is estimated at over $14 billion. 34 agreements have been signed across the industrial, commercial residential and tourism sectors in 2019 alone, and the total number of usufruct agreements - which allow businesses to use the free zone’s facilities - has reached nearly two hundred.

As a key part of the Sultanate’s development plans, the Port of Duqm will be the centre of a logistics hub encompassing multimodal maritime, road, air and rail transport. The new Duqm international airport is already operational and the feasibility of a new rail line project connecting Duqm to various inland destinations is currently under investigation.