SALALAH PORT

Key Points

• State-of-the-art freight handling infrastructure 
• One of the fastest-growing port operations world-wide with further expansion plans to add capacity in all terminals 
• One of the world's largest trans-shipment ports
• Partnerships with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and OQ 
• Adjacent to Salalah Free Zone, Al Mazyunah Free Zone and Salalah Airport
• Largest exporter of gypsum in the world

In operation since 1998, the Port of Salalah has benefitted from over USD 800 million in investment and is now one of the world's largest trans-shipment ports. Salalah offers world-class terminal capabilities for liquid bulk and mineral bulk handling.  

The Port is managed and operated by Salalah Port Services Company, a public listed company with main shareholders  between Asyad and APM Terminals, one of the world’s largest container terminal operators. 

Strategically located directly adjacent to the main East-West Shipping Lane, Salalah provides the region’s fastest access point to the wider Middle East, Indian subcontinent and East Africa. The port is situated well-away from the Straits of Hormuz – reducing carrier insurance premiums and overall freight costs. 

Port customers benefit from a container terminal with 7 berths, a general cargo terminal with 12 berths and a liquid jetty with 2 berths -with up to 18 meters draft it regularly accommodates the world’s largest container ships. 

Operations are supported by state-of-the-art freight handling infrastructure, a 2.4 km container-berth quay with additional growth capacity, dedicated petrochemical jetties and a more than 3 km long quay for the general cargo terminal – which is able to receive all types of commercial carriers, cruise liners and bulk tankers, as well as other types of cargo vessels. 

Salalah hosts more than 2,500 vessel calls each year and is one of the fastest-growing port operations world-wide. Services include stevedoring, container maintenance and repair, tug services, bunkering, warehousing and other port related services. 

An advanced wave-dampening system reduces ship movement in port – allowing high-speed container unloading and access to Oman’s new USD 10 billion world class road network – which connects the port with the rapidly expanding GCC market.  

More recently, Salalah Port announced a OMR 23.4 million initiative to add 2.4km to the current 2.2km central service corridor, in partnership with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and OQ. The expanded corridor will facilitate a number of logistics solutions including the transfer of liquids through dedicated pipelines in Salalah Free Zone to offload locations, decreasing transportation costs and attracting increased foreign investment.  

Further expansion plans are in place to add more capacity to all the terminals.  

The Port is made an even more attractive destination by the adjacent Salalah Free Zone and Al Mazunah Free Zone and Salalah Airport, and its position as part of the Asyad Group. Oman’s new integrated logistics provider brings together 16 logistics companies and joint ventures under one entity, improving performance, creating efficiencies, offering economies of scale and providing bespoke logistics solutions to global and regional customers.