SOHAR celebrates record throughput

Total cargo volumes at SOHAR Port were up by 12% on 2014, at more than 50m tonnes; container traffic was up by a massive 62%, following the first full year of additional traffic from Port Sultan Qaboos; and, breakbulk also experienced a dramatic rise of 46% to reach 1.9m tonnes.

It was ro-ro figures, however, that saw one of the biggest increases. They were up by 90%, with more than 230,000 vehicles handled in 2015.

SOHAR chief executive, Andre Toet, said: “An average cargo throughput of close to a million tonnes a week in 2015 is a 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.”

The port also added new direct links to the Far East to its roster in 2015, such as Hanjin, Evergreen and Simatech, which, in turn, will sink costs across the supply chain.

Jamal Aziz, chief executive of SOHAR Freezone, said: “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.”