• Over 18% year-on-year container growth from first-half last year
• SOHAR Port and Freezone fast developing as key regional hub
• Strategic location is a critical factor in tremendous growth  

Dubai, UAE, August 30, 2016:  SOHAR has released cargo throughput figures showing strong organic growth in most sectors over the first-half of 2016, as both the Port and

Freezone continue to play a crucial role in the diversification and globalisation of Oman’s economy.

Container volume in the first-half of 2016 grew by 18.6% from the same period last year, up from 264,000 TEU in the first-half of 2015 to over 313,000 TEU in the same period this year.

Fuelled by significant infrastructure investments in the country, break bulk cargo also grew significantly at SOHAR Port in the first half of 2016, up by over 43% in comparison to last year; increasing from 854,000 tonnes in the first-half of 2015, to over 1,227,000 tonnes in the first half of 2016. Liquid bulk also performed well, with an increase of over 15% in the first half of 2016 compared to the same period last year, increasing by well over one million tonnes to 9.99 million tonnes.

Dry Bulk, which had a record first half in 2015, showed a drop of 2.7 million tonnes in the first half of 2016, to 10.6 million tonnes, due to current market conditions in the global iron and steel industry. Overall, vessel movements at the Port were up by nearly 6% compared to the first-half of 2015, with over 1,300 ships calling at SOHAR between January and June 2016.

The Sultanate continues to invest heavily in economic diversification beyond its traditional petrochemical base, as it moves forward with Vision 2020 and plans to transform itself into a major industrial and logistics centre for the region.

Mark Geilenkirchen, the new CEO of SOHAR Port, said: “Despite any current global economic uncertainties, these figures confirm we are in the right place at the right time. We will take full advantage of the prime strategic location of SOHAR Port and Freezone as we continue to expand our operations and support growth in our tenants’ businesses.”