2 3

2014 Issue 7

Messages 3

Petrochemicals Cluster 39

Metals Cluster 47

Logistics Cluster 71

Food Cluster 87

Freezone sOHAR 93

service Providers 103

english / Arabic directories 124

CONTENTS

4

His Majesty sultan Qaboos bin said

6 7

IN SuppOrT Of SuSTaINabIlITy aNd a dIvErSIfIEd ECONOmy

Chairman of sIPC: H .e. sultan bin salim Al Habsi

CeO of sIPC: Andre Toet

CeO of Freezone sohar: Jamal T. Aziz

executive Commercial Manager: edwin Lammers

edwin.lammers@portofsohar.com

Communications Department: Aisha al Maamari

aisha.almaamari@portofsohar.com,

26 852 700

CeO of OePPA: H.e. Dr. Ibrahim bin Ahmed al Kindi

editor in Chief, Oman Daily Observer: Abdullah bin salim Al shueili

Communications Dep: Bader bin Mohammed Al Thanawi

bader.althanawi@oeppa.om,

24 649 116

Magazine editor: Conrad Prabhu

Business Development Department: Prem Varghese

prem.varghese@oeppa.om,

24 649 195

Karen Jane stephen

Irine Mariam Raju

8 9

The first decade of our

growth was characterised

by a strong emphasis on the

development of a regulatory

framework, infrastructure,

terminals, and other

underpinnings that made

sOHAR a magnet for major

investors to set up operations

there.

Those efforts have paid off

commendably. We now have

a heavy industrial zone that

is almost fully leased out, an

increasingly busy waterfront, and

growing volumes of maritime

cargo. And as we explore more

creative means to grow our

business within the port area,

our equally promising free zone

development is beginning to

take off.

But while we look back

with much satisfaction at the

remarkable pace at which this

once-quiet waterfront has been

transformed into a world-class

maritime and industrial hub,

we also want to make sure this

growth squares with our broader

strategic objective: to support

sustainability and economic

diversification. Investment

and growth are not ends in

themselves but a means to

attaining what the Government

of the sultanate of Oman set

out to achieve when it signed

a joint venture agreement with

the Port of Rotterdam in 2003

to establish an industrial port on

the Batinah coast.

Indeed, our vision and

ambition is to see sOHAR

become a byword for

sustainability and a catalyst for

economic diversification. We

are committed to working

with the port’s stakeholders

– our tenant and port user

community in particular – to

build a sustainable future for

the Omani people. Our goal is

to continue working with the

local community to enhance

socioeconomic conditions in

our neighbourhood, as well as

leverage sOHAR’s economic

strength to fuel national growth

and prosperity.

In many ways, sustainability

and economic diversification

are integral to each other, much

like two sides of the same

coin. Together, they embody

a multiplicity of objectives,

notably employment generation,

vocational training and skills

development, stimulating

trade and inward investment,

promoting entrepreneurship,

fostering the growth of small

and medium scale enterprises

(sMes), boosting productivity

and competitiveness, and

encouraging technological

innovation and research, among

other goals. They also espouse

the importance of moving up

the value chain towards higher

value-added activities, which is

key to optimizing the returns

on Oman’s hydrocarbon

wealth and other natural

resources.

Also mindful that a

diversified economy is key to the

growth of a strong, sustainable

economy, sOHAR has been

taking the lead in demonstrating

the advantages of attracting

base industries that provide

the feedstock for downstream

value-added manufacturing

activities. We will continue on

this path because of the obvious

knock-on effects on the wider

economy.

sustainability also mandates

a focus on sOHAR’s long-

term economic, social and

environmental performance.

This is aimed at ensuring that

future generations will continue

to enjoy the benefits of a healthy

and vibrant ecosystem centring

around trade, industry and

logistics.

As we begin the second

decade of our growth as a

rebranded and reinvigorated

entity, our overall performance

and success will be judged on

the basis of how sustainable

we have become as a maritime

gateway and hub. It is a shared

responsibility that also enjoins

our port users and businesses to

be an integral part of, not only in

our mutual interests but that of

the Omani economy.

Sultan al HabsiChairman of the Board of Directors

sOHAR Port & Freezone

sustainability also mandates a focus on sOHAR’s

long-term economic, social and environmental performance.

This is aimed at ensuring that future generations will continue

to enjoy the benefits of a healthy and vibrant ecosystem

centring around trade, industry and logistics.

SOHar CONgraTulaTIONS

10 11

sOHAR Port and Freezone

has acquired a prominent

position in the shipping industry

in the last decade. sOHAR is

going from strength-to-strength

and saw an incredible 50 million

tonnes of transhipping in 2013;

this was enough to earn a place

in the TOP 100 world ports. The

port of Rotterdam would like

to congratulate Oman on this

achievement and is proud to be

part of this success.

sOHAR was not the only

place to handle large quantities

of iron last year. Rotterdam,

the largest port in europe, also

recorded high ore throughput

in 2013 - just over 30 million

tonnes. This was partly due to

the arrival of six Valemax ships.

Vale is an important client for

both sOHAR and Rotterdam

and was highlighted on the 7

January 2014, when the Vale

sohar arrived in the port of

Rotterdam.

As the largest iron ore vessel

in the world, the Vale sohar

and its arrival filled many Port of

Rotterdam Authority employees

with a sense of pride. The fact

that the name sohar adorns

the vessel is down to, in part,

their employer. This is because

the Port Authority partners the

sultanate in the sOHAR Port

and Freezone of which Vale is a

major investor.

since the conception of the

partnership in 2002, the Dutch

have eagerly followed sOHAR’s

progress with the port having

a similar vision to Rotterdam.

Many people within The Port

Authority have contributed in

Rotterdam, the largest port in europe, recorded high ore

throughput in 2013 - just over 30 million tonnes. This was partly due to the arrival of six Valemax ships.

Vale is an important client for both sOHAR and Rotterdam and was

highlighted on the 7 January 2014, when the Vale sohar arrived in the

port of Rotterdam

13

some way to the creation of

the port in Oman. However, the

port’s great success is down to

one man, sultan Qaboos bin

said, and his unbridled belief in

the success of this sensational

port development.

sOHAR Port and Freezone

has achieved an amazing

amount in the last twelve

years, something that has been

recognised by The Port Authority.

It is difficult to imagine that at

the beginning of this century,

there were only a few date

palms where sOHAR Port and

Freezone now sits. In the twelve

years of its existence, sOHAR has

successfully handled around 50

million tonnes of cargo a year.

That’s a fantastic achievement

and puts the port on an equal

footing with such renowned

ports as London, Colombo,

Jeddah and Genoa. And it still

has a long way to grow. This

year, the container port will be

given a massive boost and the

Freezone, under the guidance of

CeO Jamal Aziz will continue to

prosper.

Rotterdam’s involvement

in the construction of the

port has resulted in many

Dutch dignitaries visiting

the port in Oman, our King

Willem-Alexander and Queen

Maxima plus a number of

Dutch ministers and important

business delegations have all

seen sOHAR Port and Freezone

first hand. Thus our participation

also gives an extra boost to the

business sector and international

relations. Without doubt the

continued success of sOHAR

Port and Freezone will have an

extremely positive impact on the

local workforce and will result in

greater economic prosperity for

the area.

Over the past few years, the

port of Rotterdam has had an

important role in the ongoing

development of sOHAR Port.

This has often been two-way

with clear evidence of cross-

pollination. Take the e-noses, for

example: sensors which record

changes in the composition of

the air. Following the successful

use of the e-nose in sOHAR,

Rotterdam is rolling out a

network of 300 e-noses in the

port and industrial area.

It is also encouraging that

sOHAR Port and Freezone is

focusing on sustainability and

safety. Recently, André Toet, CeO

of sOHAR, and René de Vries,

Harbour Master of Rotterdam,

signed a contract to provide

support in further upgrading and

professionalising safety in the

Port and Freezone by tapping

into the expertise of Rotterdam.

These rigorous measures will

ensure sOHAR is at the forefront

of safety and sustainability, a

trendsetter for the region if you

will. And that’s a good thing.

Because the future belongs to a

clean and safe port.

12

14 15

If the latest annual

performance figures are

anything to go by, then sOHAR

Port and Freezone have just

delivered another year of

spectacular growth, sustaining

a trend that has exemplified its

success as Oman’s preeminent

industrial port and maritime

gateway.

Indeed, the nation’s biggest

infrastructure and economic

development to date has been

an ongoing success story ever

since the Omani government

and the Port of Rotterdam

forged a landmark joint venture

partnership in 2002 to establish

the sohar Industrial Port

Company sAOC (sIPC).

eleven years on, and over

15 billion Dollars of investment

later, sOHAR Port and Freezone

has evolved into the nerve

centre of an industrial and

economic powerhouse taking

shape across the Batinah region,

with the potential to sustain the

sultanate’s long-term prosperity.

Boding well for the port’s

pivotal role as an engine of

economic growth is its stellar

operational performance during

2013. “The past year has

been a very successful one,”

says Andre Toet, CeO. “While

we grew a robust 52 per cent

in 2012, we improved upon

this level again in 2013. The

highpoint of the year was the

achievement of an aggregate

cargo throughput of 50-million-

tons, a milestone that was

accomplished within a mere 11

years from start-up.”

Looking ahead, the CeO

foresees continued double digit

growth at the port over the next

several years, underpinned by

investments in new terminal

capacity and a raft of new

projects. “Going forward,

we will continue to grow at

substantial levels; ongoing

improvement and development,

investment, personalized service

and modern infrastructure will

all significantly contribute to our

expected double digit growth at

sOHAR over the next decade.”

Driving this growth will

be a number of important

developments, according to Mr.

Toet. Key among these is the

relocation and expansion of the

HPH-led Oman International

Container Terminal (OICT),

which will see container capacity

ramped up to 1.2 million Teus

when the upgraded facility

opens later this year. Likewise, C.

steinweg Oman, which operates

the multipurpose general cargo

terminal at the port, is also

undergoing a significant capacity

revamp.

Also envisaged is a

substantial increase in the liquids

business at sOHAR Port and

Freezone, says Mr. Toet. Much

of this anticipated growth is

attributable to a massive up

scaling and modernization of

the refinery complex of Oman

Oil Refineries & Petrochemical

Industries Company LLC (ORPIC)

within the petrochemicals

cluster. Together with the sohar

Refinery Improvement Project

(sRIP), as it is called, ORPIC is

also forging ahead with the

development of its ambitious

Liwa Plastics Project. side by

side, Oman Oil Company and

its downstream investment arm

Takamul Investment Company

are pursuing the development

of a major PTA/PeT project at the

industrial port.

These mega schemes

augur well for the Port’s

growth ambitions, as well as

the country’s developmental

aspirations, says Mr. Toet.

“Petrochemical projects are

not only good for sOHAR, but

for the goal of adding value

to the nation’s hydrocarbon

resources as well. The refinery

improvement project, for

example, will address the rising

demand for fuels, as well as

mitigate some old environmental

issues. Likewise, the Liwa Plastics

scheme will open up immense

opportunities for downstream

investment in plastics.

Opportunities for investment

and employment generation

abound as one goes further

aNOTHEr yEar Of STEllar grOwTH

Rising import and export volumes, expansions in container and general cargo terminal capacity, a burgeoning petrochemicals cluster, and the finalization of plans for the establishment of a strategic food reserve

and sugar refinery, set the stage for a new phase of sustained growth at sOHAR Port and Freezone, says Andre Toet, Chief executive Officer.

16 17

down the value chain – an

objective that goes to the heart

of our vision to be a catalyst for

socioeconomic development.”

New initiatives

A host of other strategically

important initiatives that will

have a significant bearing on

sOHAR Port and Freezone’s

long-term growth objectives

are set to take off during 2014,

says Mr. Toet. “We will see the

commencement of construction

of a new sugar refinery that

will generate a lot of import

and export volumes for the

port. We will also witness the

establishment of a strategic food

reserve in sOHAR. In conjunction

with this project, we will have

a dedicated agricultural berth

for the import and export of

agricultural commodities, chiefly

grain in the initial stages. These

are some of the developments

that will sustain growth over the

next 10 years.”

A steady inflow of

investment from the outset of its

launch has meant that available

plots within the sOHAR area are

gradually reaching capacity. That

has prompted the management

to weigh a number of options

to maintain sOHAR’s investment

appeal.

“The original plan was to

achieve an uptake of 25 – 30

per cent of the available space

within sOHAR by the end of

the first decade of operations

(2012). But due to the strong

demand, around 85 per cent

of the available land has since

been leased. Nevertheless, to

address a potential shortfall in

leasable land, we are looking at

undertaking some reclamation

work that will create around

135 hectares of prime real

estate at Majees waterfront for

expansions or new business

altogether.”

Reassurances have been

made that there will be no

shortage of opportunities for

new investment and business

growth at the port over the long-

term, says Mr. Toet. “Growth at

sOHAR Port and Freezone will

never cease. When we thought

we would run out of land within

the concession area for new

investment, our shareholders

decided to address this issue

by establishing the adjoining

Freezone. On the marine side,

however, we still have enough

capacity to keep us going for

many years to come. Thanks to

some very efficient planning that

went into the design of sOHAR,

all of the cargo terminals will

have enough capacity on the

waterside to meet demand

growth. In the meanwhile, we

will continue to explore ways

to expand sOHAR Port and

Freezone through reclamation,

or other avenues.”

The CeO envisions significant

opportunity for developing the

container business in the coming

years. equally, there is potential

to grow sOHAR’s general

cargo, RO-RO and project cargo

business segments by supporting

steinweg Oman’s expansion

objectives, he points out.

Business growth is also

inevitable when many of the

large industrial tenants at

sOHAR Port and Freezone begin

to revive long-pending plans

to expand capacity or diversify

their product lines once requests

for new gas allocations from

the government come through.

An eagerly-awaited agreement

between the government

and energy major BP, for the

development of potentially

immense tight-gas reserves

in Block 61 in central Oman,

is expected to make available

massive new volumes of gas as

fuel and feedstock.

early recipients of the gas

are likely to include the base

metal industries operating

within sOHAR – a prospect

that the CeO says will herald

a new round of downstream

investment and employment

generation.

“A new round of

expansions, especially within

the metals cluster, will be good

news for us. We have always

sought to make the argument

that steel industries require

relatively smaller quantities of

gas as a fuel in comparison

with petrochemicals. Yet, steel

manufacturing and fabrication

generate a lot more jobs because

of the diverse applications

associated with this commodity.

Our strategy is to encourage

more downstream opportunities

from our current tenants like

Jindal shadeed and sohar steel.

We envisage more integration

between Jindal and sohar steel,

while Jindal itself will expand

capacity. These developments

will pave the way for

investments in rolling capacity

and fabrication, which can

be accommodated in sOHAR

Freezone. Additionally, there is

potential for ferroalloys, such as

ferrochrome, ferromanganese

and ferrosilicon, which could

lead to the establishment of a

dedicated downstream metals

cluster in sOHAR Freezone.

“Benefitting the local

community through the creation

of more jobs at local level is

another of the benefits that

sOHAR Port and Freezone can

contribute to the area. For every

job created within sOHAR Port

and Freezone, three job or four

jobs are created locally. With the

major development there’s going

to be the need for additional

services, more accommodation

and more shops for example.

This means everyone from

builders, to designers, to

restaurant owners will benefit,

it really does cover a massive

spectrum of beneficiaries.”

Highpoints

Reflecting on the port’s

overall performance in 2013,

Mr. Toet lists a number of

“highpoints” that he says will

position sOHAR for further

growth in the coming years.

Notable among these is the

completion of one year of

successful operations by Brazilian

mining conglomerate Vale, since

the commissioning of the full

capacity of its iron ore pelletising

plant and stockyard. sOHAR

Port and Freezone is one of only

a handful of ports worldwide

that can accommodate the

Valemax-size ore carriers that

bring feedstock for the project.

The floating behemoths, laden

with 400,000 tons of ore, call at

regular intervals at a dedicated

deepwater jetty, thanks to its

25-metre draft.

A succession of landmark

agreements concluded with

various parties during the course

of the year will also contribute

to business growth, according to

the CeO. “We have signed an

agreement to lease 200 hectares

to Orpic for their refinery

improvement project, as well

as for their Liwa Plastics Project

and the ethylene crackers. With

Oman Oil Company, we have

signed similar agreements with

regard to their PeT/PTA project.

These and other ventures

finalised by various entities will

contribute significantly to job

creation.”

In another notable

achievement of the past year,

ship-to-ship (sTs) services were

successfully introduced for the

first time at the port. This facility

enhances sOHAR Port’s appeal

to international shipping even

if the vessels in question do not

necessarily have any cargo to

load or discharge at the port.

sTs operations, according to

Mr. Toet, allow for larger vessels

to be serviced at anchorage,

thus sparing them the cost of

having to come alongside a

berth to receive these services.

service providers typically handle

a ship’s requirement of bunker,

fresh water, food supplies, crew

transfers, and other assorted

supplies and services.

Leading sTs services

provider, the uK-based

Fendercare Marine, has been

signed up by sOHAR Port and

Freezone to provide a range

of sTs services at the gateway.

Calls by seagoing vessels seeking

sTs services have spiked since

the introduction of these

operations. In August of 2013

alone, a record 27 ships sought

sTs services from Fendercare,

underlining the importance of

this facility at ports like sOHAR

that aspire to be integrated,

one-stop providers of all kinds of

marine services.

SME development

Importantly, sTs has the

potential to stimulate the

growth of small and medium

enterprises (sMes) specializing

in the provision of such

services, says Mr. Toet. “sTs is

a promising economic activity

because it creates a lot of

“Benefitting the local community through the creation of more jobs at local level is another of the benefits

that sOHAR Port and Freezone can contribute to the area. For every job created within sOHAR Port and Freezone, three job or four jobs are created locally.

18 19

Port and Freezone will be

integrated with the new Batinah

expressway linking Muscat

with KhatmatMalaha on the

sultanate’s border with the uAe.

This eight-lane superhighway

is also expected to include a

dedicated lane for heavy truck

traffic plying between sOHAR

and an internal container depot

(ICD) or dry port proposed at

Barka.

equally exciting for sOHAR

is a soon-to-be-completed

blacktop linking sOHAR with

Riyadh (saudi Arabia). “When

ready, sOHAR Port and Freezone

will enjoy direct access to the

Riyadh market, which is the

largest consumer market in

the Middle east. It will allow

us to get goods across to this

key market much faster and at

relatively cheaper fares than via

the uAe ports,” says Mr. Toet.

All of these pivotal

developments are indispensable

to the sOHAR Port and Freezone

vision of being the gateway to

the wider region, encompassing

the Arabian Gulf, Middle east,

east Africa and Indian sub-

continent, the CeO emphasizes.

“This represents the

essence of the gateway concept

centring on sOHAR, with its

thriving economic zones, superb

infrastructure, competitive

energy, and a world-class

industrial port underpinned by

an attractive investment and

regulatory regime. This vibrant

business zone, with its port,

free zone, industrial estate and

airport and covering an area of

around 100 sq kilometres, enjoys

proximity to a growing regional

consumer market of nearly 2.5

billion people. It is this vision that

drives the sOHAR; It all starts

here concept, and which we are

working hard to market.”

tenants and service providers

operating at sOHAR Port and

Freezone.

“We are delighted to see

that the first rail link will connect

sOHAR with Buraimi and Al

Ain beyond. The facilities of

Vale and OICT will be among

the first to be connected, and

we are also looking to see if

the general cargo terminal of

steinweg Oman and the liquids

terminal Oiltanking Odfjell can

be linked too. Alternatively,

we can consider transporting

goods by truck from these

terminals to a rail centre within

sOHAR Freezone and have

them freighted by rail from

there. Besides, we would like

to see connectivity with the

future container terminal, the

deepwater jetty of Vale, and our

customers in sOHAR Freezone.”

In addition, sOHAR Airport

is set to be fully operational by

around 2016, enabling not only

speedy air transportation links

between this important port city,

but also opening the way for the

growth of a promising airfreight

industry as well. This industry is

likely to capitalise on sOHAR’s

emergence as a well-diversified

manufacturing hub as well as

its world-class infrastructure to

focus on time-sensitive exports,

such as fabrics and so on, that

need to be airfreighted to

international markets, according

to the CeO.

Land transportation is

also growing by leaps and

bounds. By 2016, sOHAR

at sOHAR. Coupled with the

growth of our captive cargo

base, we hope to achieve this

goal,” said Mr. Toet.

The port has already begun

taking steps to ensure there is

enough capacity on the ground

to cater for the potential new

traffic and volumes attracted

to sOHAR Port and Freezone.

OICT and steinweg Oman,

which operate the container

and general cargo terminals

respectively, are building their

human resource capabilities

to handle the higher loads.

Warehouses too have begun

proliferating along the

highway linking sohar with

Barka. Agricultural quarantine

infrastructure is also expected to

be rolled out gradually at sohar

in parallel with an expected

upsurge in imported perishables

through the Port.

But the big “game-changer”

for sOHAR Port and Freezone,

says Mr. Toet, will come

around the year 2018 when

the port is connected by rail

to the Al Ain and Abu Dhabi

in the neighbouring united

Arab emirates (uAe). Rail

connectivity would effectively

mean that sOHAR Port and

Freezone will be an integral part

of a truly multimodal transport

infrastructure encompassing

by then road, maritime and air

transportation. A dedicated

team has been working closely

with the Omani rail authorities

to ensure that rail connectivity

benefits if not all, most of the

jobs. Additionally, as they are

not technology and capital

intensive, it opens the way

for start-ups catering to the

maritime services sector. so, if

we think strategically as a port,

sTs services have the potential

to foster entrepreneurship. The

Port of Rotterdam, for example,

has a flourishing sTs sector that

has spawned thousands of sMes

specializing in different areas of

this industry.”

Looking forward to 2014

there is much to be optimistic

about. By leveraging its strategic

geopolitical location, deep drafts

and spurt in container volumes,

the port hopes to woo mainline

container ships to sOHAR – a

prospect that promises to have

beneficial implications for the

goal of reducing supply chain

costs.

“Our attractive offering

and strategic location has

been and continues to be a

key factor in our tremendous

growth, if we get the big ships

to sOHAR, we will eliminate

the cost advantages that

some shippers may enjoy by

getting their volumes shipped

through Jebel Ali. I’m personally

confident that the mainline will

come to sOHAR sooner rather

than later. The new facility of

Oman International Container

Terminal (OICT), with its post-

Panamax cranes, is scheduled

to open in January 2014. This

will allow for the handling of

mega containerships of 10,000,

11,000 or 12,000 Teu capacity

The big “game-changer” for sOHAR Port and Freezone, says Mr. Toet, will come around the year 2018 when the port is connected by rail to the Al Ain and Abu Dhabi in the neighbouring united Arab emirates (uAe). Rail connectivity would effectively mean that sOHAR Port and Freezone will be an integral part of a truly multimodal transport infrastructure.

20 21

22 23

Substation0.24ha

SOHar frEEzONE: rIdINg ON SyNErgyWhat was until a couple of years ago an unremarkable swath of largely barren land has today the makings of a flourishing industrial, light manufacturing and logistics hub that promises to fuel socioeconomic development and employment generation on a significant scale.

2524

26 27

A free zone development

anchored by a thriving maritime

gateway can only be positioned

for long-term success.

This is particularly true for

sOHAR Freezone, a massive

special economic zone coming

up adjacent to sOHAR Port

with a broad remit to support

downstream, value addition and

support activities that optimize

the mega projects in operation

at the industrial port.

Launched in 2002, sOHAR

Port is a joint venture between

the Port of Rotterdam and the

Government of Oman, the

Freezone was established in

2010 and the two elements

have gone on to unparalleled

success.

Covering an area of 4,500

hectares, sOHAR Freezone is

roughly twice the size of sOHAR

Port and is mirroring its success,

with investors keen to be part of

the development.

Already, sOHAR Freezone

is witnessing a robust uptake

of leased plots in an initial sign

of its equally promising appeal

as well. Of the 500 hectares

that make up Phase 1 of the

special economic zone, more

than 80 per cent of the leasable

land, totalling around 385

hectares, has been committed to

investors, according to Mr. Jamal

Aziz, CeO – sOHAR Freezone.

“Lease agreements covering

a total of 331 hectares have

been signed by the end of 2013,

leaving around 75 hectares of

the leasable land left from Phase

1. This represents a massive

achievement when you consider

that Phase 1 was originally

expected to be fully leased out

by 2017, but it is now expected

to be filled much earlier,” Mr.

Aziz commented.

In fact, Phase 1 of the

development has already

attracted a mix of mineral-

based processing industries,

manufacturing plants, and

logistics related service providers.

A significant number of these

investors have begun developing

their facilities, transforming the

once uninhabited landscape into

a growing hive of industrial and

commercial activity.

Also continuing apace is

the provision of infrastructure

and utilities to make it attractive

for the investors to move in

and set up their operations

with almost ‘plug and play’

ease. This includes the road

network, drainage systems,

fencing, power, water,

telecommunications, and all the

other elements that ease any

transitions.

Clusters drive prosperity

The prospect of downstream

and logistics clusters

mushrooming within the free

zone, thriving on synergies

created by primary industries

and upstream activities at the

industrial port, is an exciting

one for Mr. Aziz and his senior

colleagues. After all, it is through

such cluster developments that

the value proposition offered by

the free zone can be maximised

and fully exploited, he points

out. Not surprising then is

the emergence of a cluster of

ferrochrome smelters – around

five projects so far – that are in

various stages of development

and operation in the free zone.

Attracting in excess of $260

million in investments, these

ventures are located in a cluster

covering an area of around

500,000 sq metres. At peak

capacity, they will produce an

estimated 500,000 tons of

ferrochrome annually primarily

for export.

The investments, according

to the CeO, are illustrative of a

concerted effort by authorities

and the private sector to add

value to Oman’s prodigious

mineral wealth. Omani chrome

ore, which has hitherto being

exported in its raw form, is now

being blended with other ores to

produce high-value intermediate

commodities, stainless steel

products, or other finished

goods.

However, given their

energy-intensive nature, new

investments in this cluster will

have to demonstrate a major

contribution to employment

generation and value addition –

goals that represent the special

economic zone’s raison d’être.

“As ferrochrome smelting

is an energy-intensive industry,

there has to be a balance in

terms of the uptake of energy

and the value-add generated

by these investments. Most

importantly, we want to see

jobs being created. With already

a number of smelters already

signed up, we have now

reached a point where we can

say that we are satisfied with the

number of ferrochrome projects

that make up this cluster. In the

next stage, we would like to

see investments downstream

of ferrochrome smelting,” the

Freezone CeO said.

Likewise, opportunities for

the growth of metal-based

downstream ventures, feeding

off from the huge primary iron

and steel industries operating

within the heavy industrial zone,

also abound at the free zone.

Vale Oman, Jindal shadeed

and sohar steel are seen as

promising upstream sources

of feedstock for a variety of

steel-based mills that can be

conveniently located at the

nearby free zone. The same

applies to aluminium. Dedicated

supply corridors and even hotlink

connectivity will make any

such downstream investments

eminently feasible, according to

Mr. Aziz.

Inclusive growth

Importantly, all of these

ventures – whether related to

mineral processing or aluminium

and steel-based manufacturing

– will eventually form part of

a vibrant Metals and Minerals

Cluster envisaged at the free

zone. Towards this end, sOHAR

Port and Freezone has allocated

substantial tracts of land for

this cluster, given especially

the immense benefits that will

accrue to the wider economy

from such investments. Besides

adding value to the country’s

mineral resources, these projects

have the potential to create

jobs, nurture the development

of sMes, support technology

transfers, and boost demand

for capital goods, consumables

and services. The upshot is

inclusive growth with beneficial

implications for the wider

economy, he adds.

equally promising is the

opportunity for investment

downstream to the large

petrochemical plants currently

in operation at sOHAR Port

or on the anvil. “Most of the

petrochemicals produced at

sOHAR Port are currently in

their liquid or gaseous state. But

when they are further processed

into solids, like PTA and PeT for

instance, I visualize significant

potential for further downstream

processing into all kinds of

plastics and their applications.

Orpic’s Liwa Plastics Project, for

example, is a case in point. I

see great synergy waiting to be

harnessed as and when these

projects come on stream. This

is the whole idea behind the

sOHAR Freezone development,”

said Mr. Aziz.

The CeO of Freezone sohar

sees the clustering model within

the free zone being replicated in

other economic sectors as well.

For example, the new Grain

Terminal envisioned at the port is

expected the spawn the growth

of a full-fledged food and

“As ferrochrome smelting is an energy-intensive industry, there

has to be a balance in terms of the uptake of energy and the value-add

generated by these investments. Most importantly, we want to see

jobs being created.

28

agro-processing cluster at the

free zone. Boasting silos for the

storage of various types of grain

commodities, the Grain Terminal

will also host a major flour mill

as well as Oman’s first sugar

refinery complex. The latter

ventures, as also those planned

in the future, will inevitably

attract investments in a variety

of value-added activities that can

be ideally housed within an Agro

Processing Cluster at the free

zone, the official explains.

But it’s not industrial

investors alone who have

been gravitating to the free

zone. Mindful of sOHAR’s

advantageous location and

ease of connectivity with major

markets in the Gulf, some of

Oman’s biggest automobile

distributors have been looking

at the free zone as a logistics

hub for their local and regional

distribution of cars, spare parts

and other automotive related

activities.

Already, prominent car

distribution agencies in Oman

have signed agreements with

sOHAR to develop logistics

parks at the free zone. suhail

Bahwan Automobiles (dealer

for, amongst others, Nissan,

BMW and Renault) and OTe

(representing Hyundai, among

other brands) have been

allocated sizable plots that

will allow them to centralize

their auto-related activities. In

addition, OTe will explore the

feasibility of establishing its

distribution centre for electronic

appliances in the free zone.

A number of other car

distribution agencies in the

sultanate are also in discussion

with the Authority for similar

arrangements that would allow

for the use of sOHAR as a

base for the local and regional

activities. The agreements

underpin the value proposition

of sOHAR as a gateway hub

that will undoubtedly open up

possibilities for new employment

in the region, says Mr. Aziz.

In another notable

addition to the Freezone,

common warehousing facilities

are mushrooming at key

locations within Phase 1 of the

development. These facilities

will cater to the logistics

requirements of third-party

customers.

Integrated brand

Keen to build on its initial

success, the Authority has

launched a new marketing

campaign that sees the Port

and Freezone promoted as

one. The sOHAR Port and

Freezone integrated brand, with

the underpinning message of

“It all starts here,” will be at

the forefront of activities. To

complement the marketing

activity and capitalizing on the

strength of the sOHAR brand

around a dozen countries,

chiefly in the Gulf and Middle

east region, as well as India, have

been identified through expert

studies as the most promising

sources of investment in the

Freezone. saudi Arabia, China,

Japan and south Korea are also

seen as target markets under the

promotional drive.

The Freezone CeO attributes

sOHAR Freezone’s early success

to a combination of factors.

“The location of sOHAR, outside

of the Hormuz strait, but within

proximity of the major consumer

markets, is key. Our customers

have their sights primarily on

the markets of the Gulf, Middle

east and Indian sub-continent.

Another big plus is the location

of sOHAR Port next to it.

Furthermore, partnerships with

reputable international players,

such as the Port of Rotterdam,

Vale, steinweg, HPH, and so

on, provide a certain level of

assurance and comfort to

investors when they look at

the Freezone as a base for their

activities.”

Other criteria that underpin

sOHAR Freezone’s appeal, Mr.

Jamal adds, are the high quality

of infrastructure and services,

including access to energy

and other utilities, world-class

road network, favourable tax

incentives and a business-friendly

regulatory regime.

Most important of all is

sOHAR Port and Freezone’s

customer-oriented approach, the

Freezone CeO notes. “Besides

attending to our customers’

official requirements through

our One-stop-shop, we also

make it a point to listen to their

other needs. We try to solve

their problems, whether they

concern government permits

or something to do with their

children’s schooling, housing

requirements, and so on. They

appreciate this personalized

service.”

“These are the key

differentiators that set us apart

from the 30-odd free zones

operating in this region. The

fact that we have quality of

service, world class operators,

and advantageous location, are

all factors that investors look for

when making the decision to

invest in sOHAR.”

Info centre on anvil

Reinforcing its commitment

to fostering entrepreneurship

and promoting small and

medium enterprises (sMes),

sOHAR Port and Freezone have

firmed up plans to establish an

education Information Centre

(eIC) dedicated to providing

young Omanis and the local

community with insights into

employment and business

opportunities associated with

the $15 billion development. The

facility will be modelled on the

lines of Rotterdam Port’s hugely

successful information centre,

says Mr. Jamal Aziz, Freezone

CeO.

“Our goal is to establish a

centre with the participation of

the industries operating in the

sohar area. It will enable the

local communities to get an idea

about developments at sOHAR

Port and Freezone by browsing

through an exhibition centre,

and attending educational

programmes tailored to the

port’s activities. Additionally,

the centre will serve as an

incubator for individuals who

wish to launch a certain kind

of business. They can test their

business proposal, develop a

prototype, and even engage

with people in industry before

they prepare to roll out their

own businesses. eventually,

the eIC will serve as a vehicle

for promoting employment

generation and supporting sMe

development. It will also act as a

communications tool, enabling

the local community to gain a

greater understanding of what’s

taking place in sOHAR Port and

Freezone.

sOHAR Port and Freezone

are in discussion with the

National Business Centre, a

newly established entity set

up by the Public establishment

for Industrial estates (PeIe) to

promote sMe development in

the sultanate. “We are exploring

ways to work together with a

common theme,” the Freezone

CeO said.

In addition to incubators

and lecture halls, the eIC

will also be equipped with

workshops designed to enable

Omani entrepreneurs to test

their inchoate ideas and learn

from their experience before

launching their own businesses.

Participants will receive

incubator-type vocational and

educational training support

and will be able to link their

business ideas with opportunities

associated with the projects at

sOHAR Port and Freezone, Mr.

Aziz explained. P.O. Box 474, Postal Code 322, Falaj Al Qabail, Sultanate of OmanTel.: +968 2686 5800 Fax: +968 2685 0540 Email: methanol@omanmethanol.com Website: www.omanmethanol.com

POS text pages.indd 27 2/20/2011 4:37:44 PMProcess CyanProcess MagentaProcess YellowProcess Black

Since commencing operations at its world scale plant in Sohar in December 2007 OMC has been producing over 3000 metric tonnes per day of high quality refined methanol. The majority of the production is exported to global markets. Methanol is a key chemical intermediate used extensively in fuel sectors and in a broad range of industrial products and applications including formaldehyde resins, acetic acid, and polyesters.

OMC is committed to achieving the highest standards of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) in everything we do to make sure that we work in a safe and healthy workplace.

The Company has a high proportion of Omani staff. Our comprehensive training program is designed to develop individual skills and competencies of our staff. Oman Methanol Company LLC (OMC) is a Joint Venture between Oman Methanol Holding Company LLC, a division of Omar Zawawi Establishment (Omzest) and Methanol Holdings International Limited (MHIL).

SOarINg SOHar

30 31

32

From an emerging Food

Cluster and a full-fledged

marine services industry to

multimodal connectivity and

even an ambitious reclamation

project, sOHAR Port & Freezone

has kicked off 2014 with

an energetic programme of

initiatives aimed at securing its

long-term development.

After all, business growth

is the name of the game at

the nation’s principal industrial

and maritime hub, an objective

that also represents the essence

of sIPC’s mandate behind the

development of sOHAR into a

regional gateway, says Mr. edwin

Lammers, executive Commercial

Manager.

“Our continuing goal

is to leverage sOHAR’s

geographical location, world-

class deepwaterharbor facilities

and excellent infrastructure

facilities to provide investors

with a robust manufacturing

and export platform to achieve

global competitive advantages,

cost efficiencies, and access to

new markets. This approach is

imperative to the government’s

goal of stimulating investment

opportunities for local Omani

businesses, creating employment

for nationals, supporting

the growth of small and

medium enterprises (sMes),

and contributing to economic

diversification in general.”

A flurry of land lease and

project agreements signed

by the port authority in 2013

will herald an upsurge in

construction activities at the Port

and Freezone over the course of

2014 and beyond, according to

the executive.

“We expect 2014 to be

a busy year on the back of

developments not only on the

marine side, but also as a result

of a series of major industrial

ventures announced within the

Port and Freezone. In the last

year, we signed a number of

agreements for new industrial

projects that will either come on

stream or begin to materialize

during the course of 2014. This

will result in a lot of business

and contracting opportunities

for local construction companies

and contractors,” said Mr.

Lammers.

The official, who is the

port authority’s key point-man

for all business development

activities, went on to outline

a number of infrastructure

and project-related initiatives

that will unquestionably have

far-reaching implications for

business growth at sOHAR.

Food Cluster

significantly, a new

cluster centring on agro-

based commodities and food

processing activities is being

established within the Port and

Freezone. Viewed in the context

of its existing Petrochemicals,

Metals and Logistics Clusters, the

new Food Cluster, as it is called,

will underscore sOHAR’s broad-

based appeal as an industrial,

manufacturing, logistics and

export hub.

According to Mr. Lammers,

the Food Cluster is envisioned

for development on a prime

piece of waterfront real estate

that will become available upon

the completion of the relocation

of the Container Terminal to

new premises further up the

quay wall. Oman International

Container Terminal (OICT), the

local subsidiary of Hong Kong-

based global terminal operator

Hutchison Whampoa, is slated

to commence operations from

its state-of-the-art upgraded

and expanded facilities towards

the end of the first quarter

of 2014. That will open up

a substantial chunk of quay

wall and adjoining real estate

for the development of a new

sugar Refinery promoted by

private investors, as well as

a government-led initiative

to establish a strategic Food

Reserves facility at sOHAR.

“The Food Cluster is

unique in that it will feature the

country’s first dedicated agro

bulk terminal designed not

only for the handling of wheat

and grain shipments on behalf

of the government, but also

feedstock for the sugar refinery.

The facility will also give new

impetus to agro-bulk projects,

thereby creating a Food Cluster

at sOHAR,” the executive

Commercial Manager said.

The Public Authority for

strategic Food Reserves (PAsFR)

is set to play a lead role in the

establishment of the proposed

strategic Food Reserves facility

within the Food Cluster. At its

heart will be a complex group of

silos for the storage of a variety

of grain commodities, including

wheat, rice, barley and other

types of grain.

The project also envisages a

significant role for Oman Flour

Mills sAOG (OFM), the country’s

largest wheat importer and

flour mill. The company plans

to construct a modern flour

mill behind the silo complex,

as well as undertake a series of

commercial activities centring

around commodity trading

and agro processing business

opportunities.

Part of OFM’s mandate,

Mr. Lammers explains, is to

reduce the financial cost to the

government in maintaining

a food reserve complex at

sOHAR. “As the operator of the

Agro-Bulk Terminal and grain

silos, Oman Flour Mills will be

required to attract various types

of commercial agro bulk cargoes

to sOHAR in order to achieve

the economies of scale necessary

to help bring down costs for the

government in maintaining the

food reserve. Thus, in addition

to operating the silos and the

terminal facilities, OFM will work

towards attracting other types of

commercial cargoes.

Besides, as grain loses its

nutritional value over time, OFM

has been tasked with overseeing

the continuous replenishment of

grain stockpiles, through trading

with neighbouring countries, for

instance. It could also use part

of the stockpiles as feedstock for

its own milling activities at sohar

and Muscat.”

While the Food Cluster

within the Port area will primarily

host facilities for the bulk

handling of grain and agro

commodities, downstream

processing activities and

associated spinoff investments

will be housed in the

Freezone. “We see significant

opportunities for value addition

activities in the Freezone based

on the important investments

that will take place in the Food

Cluster at the Port. Bulk refined

sugar from the sugar Refinery,

for example, can be packaged

into retail packs or made into

sugar cubes. Likewise, from the

milling activities, we foresee

opportunities for a variety of

processing, baked and other

products.”

True to its new tagline, ‘It All starts Here’, sOHAR Port & Freezone has lined up an exciting portfolio of investment and infrastructure-related initiatives that promise to underscore its reputation as one of the most-happening ports in the region.

Our continuing

goal is to

leverage SOHar’s

geographical

location, world-class

deepwaterharbor

facilities and

excellent

infrastructure

facilities to

provide investors

with a robust

manufacturing and

export platform

to achieve global

competitive

advantages, cost

efficiencies, and

access to new

markets.

33

invest around $800 million in a

PTA/PeT petrochemicals plant

as well. All three schemes,

along with the existing projects

operating within the cluster, will

provide strong new impetus for

the growth of a downstream

petrochemicals and plastics

industry at the adjoining

Freezone.

For its part, sOHAR Port and

Freezone has already earmarked

additional land within the

Petrochemicals Cluster for the

implementation of these new

projects. But given the potential

for new industrial ventures

to be integrated with these

primary projects, new land lease

requests will be met through the

proposed Majees Reclamation

initiative, says Mr. Lammers.

“We have allocated

sufficient land for the three new

projects in question. However,

as we are running out of land in

Expanded Petrochemicals Cluster

A multibillion dollar

investment programme by

Oman Oil Refineries and

Petroleum Industries (Orpic),

the nation’s oil refining and

petrochemicals flagship, as

well as its parent company,

Oman Oil Company sAOC, will

result in a major upsizing of

the Petrochemicals Cluster at

sOHAR.

In all, three major refinery

and petrochemicals based

schemes are envisaged for

implementation within the

cluster with a combined capital

investment of around $6.5

billion over the five years. Two

of these ventures, comprising

the $2.1 billion sohar Refinery

Improvement Project and the

$3.6 billion Liwa Plastics Project,

will be developed by Orpic.

Oman Oil Company plans to

finalising the tender documents

for the construction of the bund.

As we start reclaiming this area

from the sea, we will canvass

the market for interest in land

leases within this area. During

the course of 2014, we intend

to issue a Request for Proposals

(RfP) inviting prospective

investors to submit proposals

outlining the kind of industries

they wish to establish on this

reclaimed land, area required,

and whether they would need

access to the waterfront.

Thus, by the end of 2014,

we will have a clear picture as to

the kind of industries that can be

ideally located with the Majees

Reclamation Area and the type

of infrastructure needed to

service these industries. This will

help in the formulation of a clear

plan for the implementation of

the Majees Reclamation Project

during 2015 and beyond.”

Majees Reclamation

With almost all of the 2,000

hectares of land within the Port

area now under long-term lease

to industrial tenants, terminal

operators and service providers,

sOHAR Port and Freezone is

moving ahead with plans to

reclaim a largish portion of

land alongside the waterfront

between the Northern

Breakwater and the protection

wall for the seawater intake and

outfall system.

The reclamation project

will yield around 135 hectares

of prime new real estate for

industrial investment, says Mr.

Lammers.

As a first step, authorities

plan to float a tender for the

construction of a bund that will

close up part of the waterfront

before reclamation work begins.

“We are in the process of

geared to cater for growth

in container traffic through a

number of factors including

accommodating volumes we

hope to attract from Dubai. With

container traffic from Muscat

now being channeled through

sOHAR, it creates the necessary

inducement for shipping lines

to call directly at sOHAR rather

than route Oman-bound cargoes

through Dubai. Besides, sOHAR

becomes far more attractive to

shipping lines as a hub from

where they can consider feeding

cargoes to other destinations in

the Gulf or even the Indian sub-

continent.”

Based on the pace and

scale of this growth, the port

management hopes to chart

a suitable timeline for the

development of a Container

Terminal D, which is proposed to

be established on the other side

of the harbor.

include a deepwater port,

adjacent container terminal and

agro-bulk terminal. Commercial

production is targeted by early

2016.

Logistics hub

Container traffic is to

continue as a key ingredient

of the success of the Port not

least due to the upgrade of

Oman International Container

Terminal’s (OICT) facilities. The

port authority is taking steps

develop the required synergies

to enhance sOHAR’s appeal as

a hub for containerized cargo.

The goal, says Mr. Lammers, is

to make it attractive for shippers

and shipping lines to channel

their North Oman specific boxes

through sOHAR rather than

Jebel Ali or other neighbouring

ports.

“In the course of 2014

we will see the upgraded

Container Terminal of OICT

Sugar Refinery

Construction work on

Oman’s first ever sugar refinery

complex will kick off at sOHAR

Port and Freezone during the

third quarter of 2014. An

agreement to this effect was

signed by the Port with the

project’s promoters, Oman sugar

Refinery Company LLC (OsRC),

in April 2013.

under the pact, sOHAR

has committed to leasing a

180,000 sq metre waterfront

area for the development of a

world-class plant with a capacity

to produce up to 1 million tons

per annum of refined sugar.

Output is initially envisaged at

700,000 tons in the first phase,

and ramped up to 1 million tons

within three years thereafter.

The project will take

advantage of the excellent

facilities provided by the

strategically located Port, which

the port area for new industrial

investments, we will be looking

to reclaim land from the sea at

Majees. That’s primarily because

the refinery improvement,

plastics, PTA/PeT and aromatics

projects will make it attractive

for investors to downstream.

While the Freezone is ideally

suited to host any downstream

petrochemicals and plastics

factories, larger projects that

require a hotlink or pipeline link

with these base industries need

to be located in close proximity,”

the official stated.

Rail connectivity

Connecting sOHAR Port

and Freezone with the GCC

and national rail networks

is a top priority for the port

management given the obvious

benefits associated with rail-

based freight transportation,

according to Mr. Lammers.

Container traffic is to continue as a key ingredient of the success of the Port not least due to the upgrade of Oman International Container Terminal’s (OICT) facilities. The port authority is taking steps develop the required synergies to enhance sOHAR’s appeal as a hub for containerized cargo

3534

3736

“Rail connectivity will change

the logistics landscape because

of sOHAR’s advantageous

geopolitical location. Imagine a

rail line that starts from sOHAR

and goes all the way into the

Gulf! It will give Oman the

opportunity to become the main

logistics player in the region,

much like how Jebel Ali in Dubai

positioned itself for growth at

the outset of its development.

It’s imperative that Oman stays

on track in the development

of the rail project so as not to

lose out to other gateways in

the region that are seeking to

develop their hub potential. It’s

equally important that the Pport

and Freezone are connected to

the rail network.”

For its part, the port

management has appointed a

dedicated team at its Technical

Department to chart an effective

and optimum plan for rail

linkages that will help cargo

flows in and out of the Port

and Freezone primarily from

the standpoint of sOHAR’s

gateway concept. A key part of

the team’s remit is to identify

the best possible alignment for

the rail system within the Port

and Freezone, and all of the

important locations that need

to be connected to the network

– a move that is fraught with

challenges, he points out.

“It is important to note

that we are looking to roll out a

network in an area which was in

itself never designed to receive

rail infrastructure. Therefore, we

need to be a little bit creative

in linking locations where rail

connectivity is needed the

most. At this moment, we are

looking at connecting the Future

Container Terminal and Vale’s

bulk terminal, as well as be able

to introduce some sort of railway

service centre that would allow

for our customers to freight

their cargoes in and out by rail.

This service would have to be

located in the Freezone, which in

turn will benefit the operations

of customers due to the rail

connectivity

under plans outlined by

Oman Rail in the development

of a National Railway Network,

sOHAR Port and Freezone will

be connected to the GCC Rail

system in the very first stages of

the project’s implementation.

Marine Services

The port management

is taking steps to jumpstart

the development of a marine

services industry catering to ships

calling at the port’s anchorage

area. The move, says Mr.

Lammers, will have immensely

beneficial implications for the

local economy, as well as for the

government’s sMe development

and employment generation

objectives.

“Business opportunities

within the Port and Freezone are

not simply limited to the land

area within sIPC’s concession;

these could also be harnessed

offshore. We have a large

anchorage area that can be used

to attract ships requiring all sorts

of marine services, including,

amongst others, bunkering,

ship supplies, crew change and

ship handling. As such ships

may not have any cargoes to

load or discharge at sOHAR,

they would prefer to remain

at anchorage while availing

themselves of certain marine

services. Our ultimate goal is to

attract enough numbers of ships

to make it viable for sMes and

service providers to offer these

services at sOHAR.”

By capitalizing on its obvious

locational advantage, sOHAR

has huge opportunities to grow

its own marine services industry.

“We are now focused

on taking initiatives that

will help grow the marine

services business at sOHAR.

The development of bunker

services, ship to ship operations

and other services that will

help attract a lot of vessels

to sOHAR. This will in turn

increase the turnover as well as

revenues to the sultanate, which

would otherwise go to our

neighbours.”

Importantly, a vibrant

marine services sector will have

major knock-on effect on the

wider economy, according

to the official. “Take crew

exchange services, for example.

A complement of six sailors

getting off a ship at anchorage

will need to engage taxis in

order to get to the airport for

the flight home. Hopefully, they

will choose our national carrier

for the flight out. There is also

the possibility that they will stay

in a local hotel before they board

their flights. so you can imagine

the economic spinoffs associated

with something as basic as crew

change changes.”

He goes on to cite the

example of a leading regional

shipping line that makes an

estimated 1,200 ship calls

at a neighbouring Gulf port

disembarking around 6,000

crew annually. “All of these

crewmembers will require the

services of local taxis, transport

providers, hotels, air carriers, and

so on. It all goes to show how

important the marine services

industry is for a country like

Oman. Continued government

support is crucial in order

to promote an industry that

will contribute to the wider

economy,” Mr. Lammers added.

Main Gate:

With the freight volumes

handled at the port continuing

to grow leaps and bounds,

a new Main Gate complex

complete with facilities for

Customs, Immigration, security

and other formalities, is on

the anvil. The complex will be

designed and built to reflect

sOHAR’s reputation as a world-

class hub, as well as to ensure

the speedy, efficient and hassle-

free movement of freight and

people in and out of the Port.

“Discussions have been

ongoing with ROP Customs

and Immigration in terms of

identifying a suitable site for the

establishment of the Main Gate

in terms of delivering smooth

and timely services to the Port

user community,” said Mr.

Lammers.

“As the port authority, we

would like to see the smooth

and expeditious processing of

traffic in and out of the Port,

while the ROP would want to

be diligent in their inspection

and monitoring responsibilities.

The Main Gate will be designed

to strike a balance between

our objectives and those of the

ROP Customs & Immigration.

As a modern facility, it will also

feature a dedicated Customs

area equipped with all necessary

systems to carry out a full and

proper check of all cargoes

in line with Omani laws and

regulations.”

My heartfelt congratulations

to the shareholders,

management and tenants of

sOHAR Port and Freezone on

the rebranding of one of Oman’s

great economic success stories.

It’s obvious to me that the

rebranding marks a new chapter

in your efforts to develop and

position sOHAR as the preferred

gateway for trade and logistics

to the wider Gulf region.

I’m heartened to see that

Port of Rotterdam, the joint

venture partner in sOHAR

alongside the Government

of the sultanate of Oman, is

playing its full part in seeing

this vision of a gateway on

the Batinah coast through to

fruition. As the principal logistics

gateway to europe, Rotterdam

and the Netherlands have much

to offer in the way of experience

and expertise to cooperate with

Oman in achieving this goal. The

Dutch are known for innovative

solutions, state-of-the-art

technology and international

entrepreneurship, especially with

regard to transport & logistics.

My government

wholeheartedly supports

the sultanate’s ambition to

emerge as a logistics gateway

to the Arabian Peninsula

and an important hub for

the Indian Ocean basin. This

was unequivocally spelt out

by Her excellency Melanie

schultz van Haegen, Minister

of Infrastructure and the

environment of the Kingdom

of the Netherlands, when she

visited Oman in April last year.

During her visit, Minister Melanie

schultz van Haegen took part

in an Omani-Dutch Bilateral

Roundtable on Transport and

Logistics, organized by the

Netherlands embassy in Muscat.

she co-chaired the roundtable

meeting with His excellency

Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al

Futaisi, Minister of Transport

and Communications of the

sultanate of Oman.

stressing the similarities

between Oman and the

Netherlands, Minister Van

Haegen had noted that both

countries had sought to leverage

their strategic location to serve

as logistics gateways to their

respective hinterlands. she also

extended an invitation to He Dr

Al Futaisi to visit the Netherlands

for a first-hand glimpse of

the seamless connectivity

that exists between Dutch

ports, airport, railway system,

and other logistics hubs. This

integrated, and increasingly

synchronized, approach to

logistics – geared towards

markets in the hinterland –

represents the essence of my

country’s successful logistics

model. We are looking forward

to receiving He Dr. Al Futaisi

in the Netherlands coming

month. The Minister and his

delegation will then – first hand

- experience how the Dutch

gateway, Rotterdam being the

biggest port in europe, has been

developed into a commercially

successful model that creates

employment and sMe

opportunities for many.

While sOHAR Port

exemplifies the blossoming

economic ties between our two

With the freight volumes handled at the port continuing to grow leaps and bounds, a new Main Gate complex complete with facilities for Customs, Immigration, security and other formalities, is on the anvil. The complex will be designed and built to reflect sOHAR’s reputation as a world-class hub, as well as to ensure the speedy, efficient and hassle-free movement of freight and people in and out of the Port.

SHarEd IdEalS

Message of the

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

while SOHar port

exemplifies the

blossoming economic

ties between our two

friendly countries,

we have seen our

bilateral relationship

develop in other

areas as well during

the past year.

38

friendly countries, we have seen

our bilateral relationship develop

in other areas as well during the

past year.

In line with our commitment

to supporting Oman’s efforts

to nurture the growth of small

and medium enterprises (sMes),

the Dutch embassy organized a

series of workshops in February

last year in cooperation with the

Omani Ministry of Commerce

and Industry. The workshops

were conducted by the reputed

Dutch florist Tim van Leipsig

who acquainted the participants

with the fundaments of running

a flower shop.

earlier, a delegation of

Omani sMes active in the local

floral and chocolate markets

visited the Netherlands for an

exploratory visit. Oman and the

Netherlands had signed a Mou

on sMe cooperation in January

2012 during the state visit of

Queen Beatrix.

The Netherlands has also

been keen to support Oman

in the development of its

agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Towards this end, officials of

the embassy met with He Ishaq

Al Ruqaishi, undersecretary of

Agriculture, and He Dr. Hamed

in October last year. He Renée

conferred with various important

Ministers, a.o. with He Yousuf

bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister

Responsible for Foreign Affairs,

on matters of mutual interest.

He Renée was very impressed

by the Omani ministers and

dignitaries and she also led the

Dutch side at the 21st political

bilateral consultation meeting

held in Muscat that month.

On my part, I would like to

inform you that the ceremony

of my accreditation to His

Majesty sultan Qaboos bin

said Al said took place just

before Christmas. I hope to

further deepen and expand

the flourishing relationship and

profound friendship between

our countries.

On behalf of the Kingdom

of the Netherlands embassy in

Muscat, we would like to wish

sOHAR Port and Freezone our

sincerest wishes for a successful

year ahead fuelled by an

invigorated brand identity and a

strong growth strategy.

Barbara Joziasse

said al Aufi, undersecretary of

Fisheries, in september last year.

Discussions focused on avenues

for cooperation between

the two sides in the fields of

agriculture and fisheries. A joint

Omani – Netherlands eco and

sMe friendly fishery initiative is

now being studied.

Cooperation in higher

education and vocational

training has also been an integral

part of our bilateral relationship.

Around 40 Omani students and

visitors have had the opportunity

to attend a short course program

in the Netherlands as part of

the Dutch sponsored MeNA

scholarship Program or Dutch

Visitor Program. These initiatives

are aimed at strengthening ties

in the areas of education, culture

and trade. The Netherlands’

government and companies

are fully committed to the

Omanisation drive and do

their utmost to implement and

support this important policy

objective.

Another highpoint in

our relationship was marked

when He Renée Jones-Bos,

secretary General of the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of

the Netherlands, visited Oman

39

pETrOCHEmICalSCluSTEr

Cooperation in

higher education and

vocational training has

also been an integral

part of our bilateral

relationship. around

40 Omani students

and visitors have

had the opportunity

to attend a short

course program in the

Netherlands as part of

the dutch sponsored

mENa Scholarship

program or dutch

visitor program.

A joint Omani – Netherlands eco and sMe friendly fishery initiative is now being studied.

40 41

pETrOCHEm pOwErHOuSE IN THE makINgOrpic has announced investments in excess of $5 billion in the development of a world-scale integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at sOHAR Port world that also promise to maximize value addition to the country’s hydrocarbon resources.

OrpIC (OmaN OIl rEfINErIES aNd pETrOlEum INduSTrIES CO)

ending a brief hiatus in

investments in mega industrial

ventures in the country, Orpic

– the sultanate’s refining and

petrochemicals flagship –

has kicked off an ambitious

strategy to ramp up its anchor

development in sOHAR Port.

Owned by the Government

of the sultanate of Oman and

by Oman Oil Company sAOC,

the commercial company wholly

owned also by the Government

of the sultanate of Oman, Orpic

is ploughing more than $5 billion

in a trio of major projects with

strategically important portents

for the economy. Much of this

investment will be funneled into

projects that will transform the

industrial port’s petrochemicals

cluster into a teeming, value-

adding, revenue-generating

petrochemical powerhouse.

The most significant of

Orpic’s new investments is the

sohar Refinery Improvement

Programme (sRIP), a contract for

which was signed last November.

The joint venture of to Daelim

Industrial Company & Petrofac

engineering & Construction

was awarded a contract valued

at around $2.1 billion for the

engineering-procurement-

construction (ePC) package

linked to sRIP.

sRIP is a response to the

need to upgrade refining

capability in order to manage the

change in the nature of Omani

crude oil, and further maximize

the value of the refined

petroleum products. At the same

time, it will significantly improve

environmental performance

on the back of the progress

made by Orpic’s environmental

Improvement Programme

(eIP), which was initiated by

the company in 2011. sRIP will

help in meeting the increasing

demand for petroleum products.

Capacity is also addressed

within sRIP as it will allow

an increase in the refinery’s

overall production levels.

Fuels, propylene and naphtha

production will rise by 70%. This

increase will provide the answer

to the continuing growth of fuel

consumption in the country,

which has grown by 10% to

15% annually over the past 5

years.

In addition, the increased

supply of feedstock flowing

from the sohar Refinery to

Orpic’s Polypropylene Plant will

enable the latter to reach its

full production capacity for the

first time. Another first will be

the ability to produce bitumen

from the Orpic sohar complex.

Bitumen is used primarily to

manufacture asphalt and is

increasing demand in the

sultanate for infrastructural

projects. The increased supply of

naphtha that results from sRIP

means that that the amount

purchased by Orpic will also

reduce from 75% to 25% of its

total requirement.

Positive impacts

Aside from the immediate

commercial benefits that sRIP

brings to the business, it will

have further positive impacts

in other areas; 300 direct,

permanent jobs will be created

by sRIP contractors, as well as

provision of hundreds Omani

contract roles over the project

lifetime. Orpic started to

implement intensive training and

qualification programs for 100

new graduates annually since

2011 with a total of 230 trainees

benefiting from the initiative

as of December-end 2013.

The programme lasts no more

than 18 months, after which

trainees join different technical

and administrative functions,

based on the company’s human

resources strategy for the

planned development projects.

In addition, sRIP will

continue to promote value-

added not only to the local

but also now to the national

economy. In the past two

years, Orpic has committed

10% of its Oman contracts

and procurements to the North

Al Batinah Governorate. Now

with sRIP, Orpic are looking to

channel 15% of the project

value directly to drive the

in-country value factor. That

means around us$375 million

directly stimulating the national

economy.

The sohar Refinery

Improvement Project is one of

three strategic projects that

Orpic will implement through to

2018, the other two being the

Liwa Plastics Project (LPP) and the

Muscat-sohar Pipeline Project

(MsPP).

Liwa Plastics Project is a

strategic project that will improve

Orpic’s product mix and business

model, double its profit and

support the development of a

downstream plastics industry

in Oman. Taking advantage

of the growing global market

for plastics, it will create new

business opportunities and

employment in the Oman,

and firmly reinforce Orpic

as a significant player in the

international petrochemicals

marketplace. This project will

bring new business development

opportunities for the sultanate in

the fast growing plastics industry.

Maximising value-add

LPP is a steam cracker

project which will process light

ends produced in Orpic’s sohar

Refinery and its Aromatics plant

as well as optimize Natural

Gas Liquids (NGLs) extracted

from currently available natural

gas supplies. Its concept lies in

rerouting elements of existing

production in combination

with additional purchased

feedstocks to deliver high value

polymer products for the local

and international marketplaces.

Its primary goal is to further

increase the value-added that

can be derived from Omani

crude oil and natural gas. One

of the first key milestones

has already been passed with

the Ministry of Oil and Gas’

agreement to the natural gas

allocation for the project.

The project has six core

components to it: A natural

gas extraction plant in Fahud;

300km pipeline between

Fahud and sOHAR Port for gas

transportation; an 800+kTA

steam Cracker unit; HDPe Plant;

LLDPe Plant; and Polypropylene

Plant

It will enable Oman, for

the first time, to produce

polyethylene, the form of plastic

that rates highest in terms of

global demand, thus enabling

Orpic to deepen access in its

existing international markets as

well as develop new ones.

The project is on schedule

for completion during 2018.

Plastics production post-launch

is projected to increase by 1

million tonnes, giving Orpic a

total of 1.4 million tonnes of

polyethylene and polypropylene

production by 2018. The

company’s revenue will grow

further following LPP, and its

profits will double.

With the highly integrated

complex in sohar including the

refinery, aromatics plant, steam

cracker and the downstream

polypropylene and polyethylene

plants, the operation will be one

of the best integrated refinery

and petrochemical facility

combinations in the world,

and will be able to achieve the

maximum value-added for

Oman’s hydrocarbon molecule.

In terms of employment,

the construction phase of

LPP will require up to 7,000

Full Time equivalents (FTes).

Once the project has been

completed, it is anticipated that

350 operators will be required

to manage the facilities, as well

as 150 technicians. The indirect

employment effect is expected

to create more than 1,200 jobs

in the local area.

42 43

OCCI’s branch in sohar, North Al

Batinah.

Orpic’s commitment to

Corporate social Responsibility

has already resulted in many

programmes being initiated

in the local community, either

directly by the company or

indirectly through Jusoor,

Orpic’s CsR delivery partner.

These include funding a Drug

Rehabilitation Hospital under the

auspices the Ministry of Health,

and sohar, Majees and Al salam

sports clubs with the aim of

developing their services in the

interests of society. The projects

that the company is supporting

have directly contributed to

the development of various

educational, health and social

facilities in the area.

since the integration of

the four plants (refineries at

Mina Al Fahal and sohar, and

polypropylene and aromatics

plants at sohar) Orpic has

focused on improving the

environmental performance

of its operations. Recently the

company officially marked

the decrease of gas flaring

by 60% since 2011, and of

sulphur dioxide emissions by

80% since 2012. Two other

projects, spent Catalyst Removal

and Waste Water Treatment,

are both in progress, and

already demonstrating positive

environmental impacts.

tankers, and the carbon

footprint. It is expected that

tanker numbers will be reduced

by 70 per cent, providing some

relief from the capital’s traffic

congestion problems.

Sustainability

Orpic is committed to

encouraging projects related

to local value added. The

company aims to give priority to

local companies in contracting

them for procurement and

other services. In order to

strengthen its partnership with

the community on this subject,

Orpic initiated a strategy in 2011

that provides local community

businesses with many

commercial opportunities along

with a support mechanism to

help implement this objective.

The strategy aimed to

provide local markets in North

Al Batinah Governorate with

the potential to supply 10%

of Orpic’s annual purchases,

estimated at $300 million.

Orpic has eased the registration

procedures for the local

contractors and made tender

documents readily available.

since 2012, Orpic has approved

three outlets through which

to announce its tenders,

namely the Oman Chamber

of Commerce and Industry,

Orpic’s community office in

Falaj Al Qabail and Al Batinah

Portal website, managed by the

refineries existing in the country

and with Muscat International

Airport.

The new pipeline network

will have a total length of 290

kilometres and will make it

possible for more than 5.4

million cubic metres to be

transported. It will also be

reversible, meaning that a highly

flexible logistics system will be

provided. The development and

start-up of the infrastructures will

be gradual. The first section of

this pipeline network will consist

of building the connection

between the refinery in Muscat

and the international airport,

and is expected to become

operational during the first half

of 2016.

On the other hand, the

new storage plant will have an

operating capacity of more than

170,000 cubic metres and will

be fitted with 18 loading racks

for expediting supply to the

various distribution companies

operating in Oman, and is

expected to become operational

in the first half of 2017, as is the

pipeline for connection with the

sohar refinery.

The building of these new

infrastructures, in which CLH’s

broad experience in managing

these types of logistics systems

will be applied, will bring

significant benefits to Oman,

as it will permit increased

security of oil product supplies

and will reduce the use of tank

trucks for transporting fuels by

road. Besides this, it will mean

that the costs of oil product

transportation and distribution in

the country can be optimised.

From the environmental

perspective, the project will have

significant benefits, particularly

in Muscat. Currently, fuels are

tankered by road out of Mina

al Fahal and through the city.

The new pipeline will reduce

traffic on the roads in Muscat

and up to Batinah, as well as the

potential for accidents involving

Multi-product link

Orpic has also made notable

headway in the implementation

of its third strategic venture:

the Muscat-sohar Product

Pipeline (MsPP). earlier this

year, the company and spanish

firm Compañía Logística de

Hidrocarburos (CLH) have

launched a joint venture (JV)

company to construct and

operate Oman’s first multi-

product pipeline.

Orpic Logistics Co (OLC)

has been established with the

primary aim of constructing the

Muscat-sohar Product Pipeline

(MsPP), which comprises

three key elements: A 280km

pipeline between Orpic’s Mina

al Fahal Refinery and its sohar

complex; a terminal in Jifnain in

the Muscat governorate; and a

direct pipeline link from Jifnain to

the Muscat International Airport.

Mr. Musab Al Mahruqi, CeO

of Orpic, commented: “This is a

significant project on a number

of levels. As a multiproduct

pipeline it is a first for Oman, a

complex transportation system

that will have both business

and environmental impact. The

Jifnain terminal is a national

strategic storage facility capable

of responding to emergency

situations should it be necessary.

And the direct link to the new

airport will mean that aircraft

will be refueled through a closed

system, rather than having to

use fuel tankers. We strongly

believe that this project is

important for Oman and Orpic.”

The new company, in

which CLH and ORPIC will

hold a 40% and 60% stake,

respectively, will be called Orpic

Logistics Company (OLC) and

it will be responsible for the

construction and management

of a storage plant in the vicinity

of Muscat, the capital of Oman,

and a multi-product pipeline

network that will connect the

new storage plant to the two

SOHAR FERTILISER PROJECT

COMMITTED TO QUALITY ANDWORLD-CLASS PERFORMANCE

Deep Rooted Commitment to the Industrial Growth of the Nation

SIUCI

A TRIBUTE TO HIS MAJESTY’SVISION AND FORESIGHT

SIUCI, with production capacity of over 1.3 million tonnes per annum is a leading supplier of high quality Granular Urea serving the Global Fertiliser Market.

The Sohar Fertiliser Project of SIUCI is one of the largest private sector greenfield fertiliser projects in the world and represents one of the largest industrial investments by an individual in the GCC.

SIUCI has been accredited with ISO-9001, ISO-14001, OHSAS-18001 Certifications and British Safety Council’s Five Star Rating in Occupational Health & Safety.

Sohar International Urea & Chemical Industries SAOCP.O. Box 3352, PC 112 Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

Tel : (968) 24562631, Fax : (968) 24562731E-mail: intlurea@omantel.net.om

44 45

sohar International urea

and Chemical Industries sAOC

(sIuCI) continued its excellent

performance during 2012 and

2013 and further strengthened

its position in the global fertiliser

market as a reliable high quality

granular urea supplier.

Promoted by sheikh suhail

salim Bahwan, the founder

Chairman of the suhail

Bahwan Group, one of the

largest diversified business

groups in Oman (www.

suhailbahwangroup.com), sIuCI

is one of the largest private

sector green-field fertiliser

projects in the world and

represents the largest industrial

investment by an individual

within the GCC.

since 2009 the project has

been annually producing over

1.3 million tonnes of granular

urea. sIuCI’s Fertiliser Project is

world class in terms of state-

of-the-art technologies, scale

of production, environmental

protection, safe practices and

energy consumption. The project

uses natural gas as feedstock.

Ammonia and carbon-dioxide

are produced from the natural

gas in the ammonia plant. The

ammonia thus produced is

reacted with carbon dioxide in

the urea plant to produce high

quality granular urea.

urea is the most widely

used nitrogenous fertiliser in

the cultivation of various crops

including wheat, rice, corn,

OmaNI fErTIlIzEr plaNT wITH wOrld-ClaSS CrEdENTIalS

SOHar INTErNaTIONal urEa & CHEmICal INduSTrIES SaOC

sIuCI has established an excellent reputation as a supplier of high quality urea and sIuCI’s urea is recognized by discerning buyers all over the world. Promoted by sheikh suhail salim

Bahwan, the founder Chairman of the suhail Bahwan Group, one of the largest diversified

business groups in Oman (www.suhailbahwangroup.com), sIuCI

is one of the largest private sector green-field fertiliser projects in

the world and represents the largest industrial investment by an

individual within the GCC.

mETalS CluSTEr

46

operation and maintenance of the plant.

sIuCI has cultivated excellent QHse culture within the organization and has been awarded IsO-9001, IsO-14001 and OHsAs-18001 certifications and Level-1 system status for “Bulk In-ship Fertiliser” by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service (AQIs) for the export of its Granular urea. sIuCI has also been awarded Five star Rating in Occupational Health & safety by the British safety Council with a score of 99.6%, one of the highest in the world.

sIuCI’s sohar Fertiliser Project has brought with it a number of socio-economic benefits to the sultanate of Oman, the foremost being contribution to the strategic national objective of industrial diversification for reducing the nation’s dependence on oil revenues and generation of employment for nationals.

Right from the beginning, sIuCI has been committed to the development of technical skills of young Omanis. About 120 young technically qualified nationals have been inducted as technical trainees and after

extensive class room and on-the-

job training and mentoring, they

are contributing significantly

in various functions such as,

plant operation & maintenance,

Hse, quality control laboratory,

technical services and materials

management departments.

sIuCI has developed

its own training facility for

nationals under the guidance

of the Ministry of Manpower

and conducts special technical

training modules for nationals.

In addition to these technically

qualified nationals, over 100

nationals have been recruited in

various non-technical functions.

Right from inception sIuCI

had considered in its planning

the requirements for future

expansion. In this regard sIuCI

has already acquired additional

land, reserved additional

seawater extraction capacity and

provided cushions in capacity

of critical equipments. upon

allocation of natural gas for the

expansion, sIuCI is committed

to repeat its performance, which

will further enhance its position

and Oman’s position as a leading

supplier of quality urea to the

world.

pulses and vegetables. urea is also used in the manufacturing of chemicals such as melamine, urea-formaldehyde chemicals, adhesives and resins.

The urea produced at sIuCI is exported globally from a dedicated berth allocated to sIuCI at sOHAR Port. The main markets for sIuCI urea are the usA, India, Australia, Thailand, Latin America and south Africa. utmost care is taken and hygiene practices are adopted to preserve the high quality of urea during storage and conveying, while it is transported to the berth and loaded into the ship’s holds by a remote controlled mechanized ship loader. sIuCI has established an excellent reputation as a supplier of high quality urea and sIuCI’s urea is recognized by discerning buyers all over the world.

sIuCI’s sohar Fertiliser Project was executed on a lump-sum turnkey basis by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan, one of the largest engineering companies in the world, as the ePC contractor. sIuCI’s own personnel carried out the entire project management from inception to commissioning and are currently carrying out the

SIuCI has cultivated

excellent QHSE

culture within the

organization and

has been awarded

ISO-9001, ISO-14001

and OHSaS-18001

certifications and

level-1 System Status

for “bulk In-Ship

fertiliser” by the

australian Quarantine

and Inspection Service

(aQIS) for the export

of its granular urea.

47

48 49

50 51

In the space of a mere two years, Jindal shadeed Iron & steel (JsIs) has not only met and surpassed all production milestones but also moved aggressively to expand its facilities at sOHAR Port. A steel Melt shop has been coming up into operation, while a rolling mill is gradually taking shape at the complex. Also on the anvil is an iron ore pelletising plant and, gas supply permitting, even a full-fledged steel-based downstream sector is envisioned – investments that promise to position the sultanate’s first integrated steelmaker as a powerful engine of industrial and economic development across the Greater sohar region.

That the company is well on course to achieve its ambitious growth objectives is

demonstrated by its stellar

performance since the launch

of operations two years ago.

Its centrepiece DRI plant,

based on the world-renowned

Midrex renowned technology

of the united states, has not

only been operating at full

capacity, but has also performed

commendably well too.

As Mr. Naushad A Ansari,

Director and Head of Jindal

shadeed, proudly explained:

“JsIs produced 1.52 million tons

per annum (MTPA) of DRI during

fiscal 2012-13, surpassing

the nameplate capacity of 1.5

MTPA. Achieving capacity

utilization within two years of

operations is an unparalleled

feat that is unlikely to have

been matched by any other

DRI furnace supplied by Midrex

so soon from start-up. The

elimination of operational

bottlenecks and

the introduction of innovative solutions also helped contribute to these impressive production results.”

Indeed, this exemplary outcome so early in the project’s launch augurs well for Jindal shadeed’s long-term vision to develop an integrated steel mill at sohar. The project, says Mr. Ansari, is already reaping the benefits afforded by sohar’s advantageous location, as well as the Omani government’s business-friendly policies – factors that promise to underpin Jindal shadeed’s role as a key player in the country’s economic development.

“We are fortunate to be operating in a country whose government has put in place policies and an enabling environment that promotes business. Also boding well for our project is sohar’s excellent industrial and port infrastructure,

enabling ease of access

STEElEd fOr grOwTH

JINdal SHadEEd IrON & STEEl llC

Complimenting Jindal shadeed’s sterling operational performance is an ambitious expansion

and diversification strategy that exemplifies the company’s vision to develop a world-class

integrated steel complex in sohar.

52 53

ventures in India, expects

the planned investments

to provide strong impetus

to the domestic steel

industry, as well as the wider

economy.

Mr. Ansari added

that “JsIs has been in the

forefront in the development

of sMes in a big way. We

recently signed some POs for

sMes in presence of Oman

Chamber of Commerce.

We have also signed MOu

with ONIDCO for JV in the

development of Mining

activities and possible JVs in

our future projects.”

“JsIs is contributing to

the growth of the sultanate

of Oman in more ways than

one. Our aim is not only to

make Oman self-sufficient

in meeting its domestic steel

needs, but also to position

the sultanate as a reliable

supplier of raw material

to the pipe Industry and

rebars for the construction

Long-term growth strategy

Further, in keeping with

its vision to integrate all key

components of the steel

manufacturing business, Jindal

shadeed has long-term plans to

set up a pelletising plant to meet

Jindal shadeed’s current and

future requirement.

These investment plans,

however, are subject to

availability of the required

volumes of additional natural

gas at competitive rates,

he points out. “We remain

optimistic that our requirements

of additional gas supply will

receive favourable consideration.

Once we get positive indications

to this effect, we will expand our

DRI and steel making facilities,

including finished steel, to twice

the capacity,” said Mr. Ansari.

The veteran steel industry

executive, who is credited with

overseeing the startup and

launch of a number of steel

characterized the project’s rapid

development into a world-class

integrated scheme.

In line with its ambitious

growth strategy, Jindal shadeed

recently is bringing into

operation its new steel Melt

shop (sMs). Developed with an

investment of around usD 400

million, the 2 MTPA capacity

melt shop converts DRI into

an array of semi-finished long

products, such as square billets,

blooms and round sections.

Also on the anvil is a steel

Rolling Mill, which is central

to the company’s goal of

evolving into an integrated steel

complex. Italy’s Danieli, one of

the world’s largest suppliers of

plant equipment for the metals

industry, has been awarded a

contract to supply a 1.4 MTPA

capacity rolling mill that will

produce rebars and wire rods.

The mill is expected to come into

operation by the middle

of 2015, according to Mr.

Ansari.

to materials and export markets;

a highly strategic location right

in the heart of the lucrative and

fast growing Middle eastern

markets; and investment

opportunities in the construction

industry where there is obvious

demand for steel. Intra-regional

trade agreements as part of the

GCC trade bloc also played an

important role in our eventual

decision to establish our

manufacturing base in Oman.”

set on a 1.2 million sq metre

plot within the industrial port,

the Jindal-shadeed ranks among

the most modern steels mills

of its kind in the Middle east.

The plant was engineered by

Kobe steel of Japan, based on

cutting edge Hotlink technology

developed by us steelmaker

Midrex Technologies. Following

its acquisition by Indian industrial

conglomerate Jindal steel &

Power Limited (JsPL), the plant

was commissioned in December

2010 in the first of several

milestones that have since

54 55

local mosques. Also notable

among its many gestures was

the construction of a Heritage

village in association with Omani

Women’s Association in shinas.

Engine of growth

But it is Jindal shadeed’s

contribution to Oman’s

socioeconomic development

that is a source of much pride

to the company, particularly as it

embarks on a vigorous phase of

growth, says Mr. Ansari.

“With the capacity

expansions and upgrades,

Jindal shadeed is set to make

a major contribution to the

sultanate’s economy, notably

through the development of

a robust steel industry. In fact,

by expanding and diversifying

its steel making facilities, Jindal

shadeed hopes to meet Oman’s

steel requirements, with surplus

volumes targeted for export to

the GCC region. Furthermore,

by creating new opportunities

for employment growth,

the economy of the country

will grow considerably. This

increases the purchasing power

of people which in turn boosts

other service sectors and fuels

overall growth.”

“We are proud to be part

of the growing economy of

the sultanate of Oman,” the

Director noted. “The policies of

the country and encouragement

from the authorities will

pave the way for increasing

business relations. Oman will

definitely be an investment

destination of choice for many

aspiring investors worldwide.

We pray to the Almighty to

shower his blessings on His

Majesty sultan Qaboos. under

his able leadership, Oman’s

comprehensive development

remains on track on all fronts,”

he further added.

their eyes tested and provided

with prescription glasses.

Additionally, 105 children from

various schools around Liwa and

Gadafan were provided with

suitable glasses after having their

eyes examined.

In fact, community

development initiatives make

up the bulk of Jindal shadeed’s

CsR-related projects. The

beneficial impacts are tangible

and substantial, and thus well-

received by all segments of the

local community. Beneficiaries

include neighbourhood

schools, sports clubs, charity

organizations, and the local

people.

Thanks to funding support

from Jindal shadeed, Liwa Girls

High school recently became

the grateful beneficiary of a

new multipurpose hall. In the

same vein, a children’s park

with all amenities is also under

construction in Nabar village.

Football grounds, suitably

fitted out for the benefit of

the football-loving youth of

the neighbourhood, have

been developed in a number

of surrounding villages. The

company also bore the cost of

constructing a pavement on

either side of the road leading

to Nabar village from the service

road coming from Liwa.

In other initiatives, the

company made a donation

of electrically operated access

activity chairs, wheelchairs, and

mobile phones specially designed

for the hearing-challenged, to

local charities working in aid of

the differently-abled. It financed

the construction of shaded

shelters in schools, and also built

a Quran school that helps run

Holy Quran instruction classes,

among other activities, such

as summer coaching classes,

english-speaking courses, and

adult literacy sessions. During

the holy month of Ramadan,

Jindal shadeed donated coolers,

carpets and other amenities for

possible levels by developing the

skill levels of the local people.

Omanization currently stands at

an impressive 44 per cent, which

is one of our biggest successes

given the highly technical

and complex nature of plant

operations. Nevertheless, the

management is committed to

progressively lifting Omanization

levels through an aggressive,

ongoing recruitment and

training program that continues

to deliver positive results.”

Active CSR programme

Furthermore, as a company

that seeks to be well-integrated

with the local people, Jindal

shadeed continues to pursue

an energetic and far-reaching

Corporate social Responsibility

(CsR) programme that seeks to

deliver benefits across all sections

of the community.

In addition to regular blood

donation camps, the company

organized a series of eye camps

as part of its ‘Project Vision’

initiative targeting nearby

villages. A total of 125 male

and female senior citizens had

are becoming bigger in terms

of human resources. We are

putting up a steel melting shop

with large electric arc furnace,

Continuous casting machine,

a ladle furnace and a Vacuum

degassing furnace etc. which

requires special knowledge.

Therefore, we are already

having discussions with various

universities and colleges as to

how to get the people with right

education.”

This robust and unremitting

emphasis on Omanisation and

training, says the Director, is

mandated by no less than the

head of India’s Jindal steel &

Power Limited (JsPL) himself.

“Mr. Naveen Jindal, Chairman

of JsPL Group, is a young and

dynamic leader. He is also a

Member of the Indian Parliament

and a renowned sportsman,

the quality that rarely is seen in

business and political leaders.

under his dynamic leadership,

the Group is spearheading

the expansion of its business

worldwide. He strongly

advocates that Omanization

must be increased to maximum

slowly giving them technical

responsibilities. This process

may take some time but we are

confident this strategy will boost

Omanization as well as support

the professional development of

our Omani employees.”

Given the required skill levels

necessary for the operation of

a modern steel plant, Jindal

shadeed presently has to rely on

skilled manpower – experienced

engineers and technicians –

imported primarily from its

operations in India. However,

this trend is likely to ease once

the sultanate embraces a strong

industrial culture. Coupled with

the right kind of training across

different technical disciplines,

the current dearth of skilled

technical Omani manpower can

be progressively addressed, he

points out.

In fact, Jindal shadeed is

already in discussion with a

number of higher learning

institutions to explore ways

of ensuring that local Omanis

get the right technical training.

“Now that we are putting up

new plants, the challenges

government. Nevertheless,

the management continues

to make every effort to boost

these levels through an intensive

programme of training and skills

development.

“We are imparting technical

training to Omani employees

to enable them to take up key

technical positions within the

plant. Training is essentially of

two types: the first covers locally

provided training – on-the-job,

in-house or in-classroom within

the complex or elsewhere

around Oman. In the second

type, our Omani staff are sent

to train at our group companies

in India. These units are typically

well-equipped with excellent

facilities and amenities to

impart high quality training. The

candidates are also provided ‘on-

the-job’ training to hone their

skills,” he explained.

Mr. Ansari is optimistic

that the company’s training

and Omanization strategy

will produce the desired

results. “There has been good

progress in our endeavour to

train the local people. We are

sector in the GCC and the entire

Middle east. semi-finished steel

(square and round billets) and

finished steel-rebars (8mm to

40mm) are key ingredients for

the construction sector, as well

as other industries, says the

executive. Additionally, these

investments will give rise to a

gamut of downstream steel

industries active in the areas of

Cutting & Bending, Rolling Mills,

Forging, Pipe-making, and so

on. Furthermore, various support

activities, in the area of retail

sales, maintenance workshops,

and transport services, among

others, will mushroom,” he

adds.

Omanisation getspriority

Alongside Jindal shadeed’s

significant contribution to

the Omani economy is a

strong emphasis on training

and localization, as well as

knowledge transfer. Despite

the highly technical nature of

plant operations, Omanisation

levels are well above the

stipulated minimum set by the

alongside Jindal

Shadeed’s significant

contribution to the

Omani economy is

a strong emphasis

on training and

localization, as well as

knowledge transfer.

despite the highly

technical nature of

plant operations,

Omanisation levels

are well above

the stipulated

minimum set by the

government.

57

Few mega-projects

outside of Oman’s mainstay

hydrocarbon sector make a

contribution to the national

economy as significant as that

of sohar Aluminium. Fewer

still manage to successfully

leverage their investments and

operations to make a profound

impact on the local community.

Indeed, the sultanate’s only

aluminium smelter continues

to be an unsurpassed success

story in the way its presence

in sohar unlocks a wealth of

benefits – economic, social

and environmental – to the

wider Batinah North and south

regions.

established in 2004,

sohar Aluminium (sA) brings

together three prominent

entities in a mutually beneficial

strategic partnership that led

to the development of the

Gulf region’s first green-field

aluminium smelter in a quarter

of a decade. Participating in the

$2.4 billion venture are Oman

Oil Company (40 per cent),

Abu Dhabi National energy

Company PJsC – TAQA (a

subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water and electricity Authority) (40 per cent) and Rio Tinto Alcan, a global leader in aluminium. Commercial operations began in June 2008, ushering a new era in non-hydrocarbon based heavy industry in Oman that has since inspired investments in other metals based mega projects in the sultanate.

sA produces 375,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per year in the form of hot metal, ingots and sows from its world-scale 1.2 km potline consisting of 360 pots using state-of-the-art Aluminium Pechiney technology (AP36). The smelter itself is powered by a 1,000 MW combined-cycle captive power generation facility (CCPP) designed and built by Alstom and owned by sohar Aluminium.

Raw material for the

plant, chiefly alumina sourced

from overseas markets, is

shipped in via a dedicated berth

at sOHAR Port. Two alumina

carriers have been deployed to

bring in the feedstock, which is

trucked to the smelter located

12 kilometres inland.

Nearly five years on, sA

continues to exemplify what

large-scale industrial projects

can – and indeed should –

achieve for the national and

local economy. In addition

to creating in excess of

1,000 direct jobs,

its operations

have

contributed to the proliferation

of numerous small and medium

enterprises (sMes) that in turn

support an estimated 5,000

indirect jobs. Omanisation

within the company is on target

to reach around 85 per cent by

2015, an impressive feat

given the highly

complex and

technical

Passion for Excellence, Be the Best

• SoharAluminiumhasbeencreatedtoensureefficiency,environmentalprotectionandtheutmostsafetyofitsworkforce.

• Produces375,000tonnesofhighqualityaluminiumperyear.• Proudtohaveachieved71%OmanisationandanInternationallyRecognisedTraining

Centre.• StrongbelieverinsupportingandpromotinglocalSMEsanddownstreambusinesses.• CommittedpartnerofthelocalcommunityandexecuteavarietyofCSRprojects.

POBox80,PC327,SoharIndustrialEstate,SultanateofOmanTel: +96826863000,Fax:+96826863001,

E-mail:info@sohar-aluminium.comwww.sohar-aluminium.com

SmElTINg gIaNT wITH

COmmuNITy rOOTS

As the largest non-hydrocarbon industrial venture in the sultanate, sohar Aluminium (sA) is a positive force for good in the Batinah North region,

contributing not only to local employment, small business development and downstream investment, but also to the wellbeing of host communities.

SOHar alumINIum

58 59

Investment Company. Output

from the plant, which like OARC

is located in a downstream

aluminium park adjacent to the

smelter, is around 48,000 tons

per annum of products.

Nurturing community growth

employment generation is

perhaps one of sA’s greatest

contributions. Of around 1,020

jobs created by the venture

across its sprawling complex,

approximately 73 per cent are

held by Omanis hailing primarily

from the Batinah North region.

Credit for this goes to sA’s

much-applauded Omanisation

and training programme that

has seen hundreds of Omanis

hone their technical and

administrative skills to reach the

standards expected of a world-

class smelting operation.

underpinning sA’s successful

Omanisation policy is the sohar

Aluminium Academy, which

oversees a comprehensive

programme of training, from

Asia, europe, Australia, North

and south America. Aluminium

sheets range from 75 micron

to 8mm thickness and up to

1900 mm wide. They are used

in a wide variety of factories

manufacturing everything

from food containers and foils,

to building and construction

materials and heat exchangers.

In addition to providing more

than 300 direct job opportunities

for the residents of sohar,

OARC also contributes to a

large number of downstream

opportunities and a variety of

sMe investment opportunities

to meet the ongoing needs of

the plant.

Value-addition is also the

objective behind a similar

arrangement between sA and

Oman Aluminium Processing

Industries Limited LLC (OAPIL),

which utilises molten metal

from the smelter to produce

aluminium and alloy rods, as

well as overhead transmission

line conductors. OAPIL is a

joint venture between Oman

Cables Industry and Takamul

foundation of sohar Aluminium

providing molten aluminium

to feed the downstream

businesses. In the absence of

sA, the economics and logistical

challenges of importing liquid

or solid aluminium to supply

downstream businesses would

make it very difficult for these

businesses to grow sustainably in

the long-term. sohar Aluminium

will continue to support existing

downstream projects as they

grow, and will look at supporting

other future potential projects if

that makes sense,” said Mr. Al

Masoudi.

The biggest of the

downstream ventures which

depend on sA for their hotel

metal feedstock is Oman

Aluminium Rolling Mill (OARC).

Owned by Takamul Investment

Company, which is itself a

subsidiary of sA shareholder

Oman Oil Company, OARC is

designed to produce 140,000

tonnes of multi-purpose

aluminium sheets which are to

be sold in the local market and

exported to the Middle east,

time monitoring capabilities.

efficient fume collection systems

installed in the main production

centres ensure minimum

emissions to the atmosphere.

Opportunities for waste

reduction and for improvements

in waste handling are continually

assessed and implemented.

Further, it its drive to make sA a

zero-effluent discharge smelter,

an advanced industrial effluent

treatment system has been put

in place. Treated effluents from

the sewage treatment plant are

recycled for reuse to water the

green area around the smelter.

But it is its role in the

development of aluminium

transformation industries that

makes sA a pivotal player in

sohar’s burgeoning downstream

sector. The company has

committed up to 60 per cent

of its hot metal output for use

by downstream industries in

the manufacturer of a variety of

aluminium-based products.

“The growth of a strong

aluminium-based downstream

cluster at sohar is built on the

safety and well-being of each

and every individual working at

sohar Aluminium. We want to

be recognized as a leader in this

area, with the contribution of

all of our employees, business

partners and stakeholders.”

Zero-harm

safety is also a key

component of sA’s ‘zero harm’

policy – a wide-ranging initiative

which seeks to ensure that the

company’s smelting operations,

and indeed its presence in the

sohar region, has a minimal – if

not zero – adverse impact on

the local community and the

environment. Respect for the

environment is a core value

for the company, as attested

by its track record of adhering

rigorously to the stringent

health, safety and environmental

standards set by various Omani

authorities.

In line with this

commitment, sA has installed

state-of-the-art emission control

systems with continuous, real-

to a new production record

level for sohar Aluminium.

The sA team will also look

for avenues to improve the

specific energy consumption of

aluminium. And, meanwhile,

we will continue to look at

any opportunity for growth,

including assets expansions

scenarios.”

equally importantly, sA

shareholders in December 2013

approved an investment of

us$28 million to support an

amperage creep project in order

to reach in the coming years an

operating level of 400kA and

boost production of primary

aluminium by an additional

18,000 tonnes, Mr. Al Masoudi

added.

safety is a hallmark of sA’s

operations and a key factor

underpinning the company’s

distinguished global reputation.

“safety of our workforce is at

the heart and is the essence of

sohar Aluminium’s operations.

We believe that our employees

are our greatest asset and

thus we all strive to ensure the

Benchmarked for success

Over the past five years,

sA’s operations have served as

a benchmark for aluminium

smelting operations around the

world. The Oman plant’s AP36

technology is globally acclaimed

as superior, environmentally

friendly and energy-efficient.

And in keeping with its goal

to remain at the cutting edge

of smelting technology, and

optimise energy efficiency

and productivity, sA recently

embraced two key decisions.

The first concerns a major

revamp of its potline.

The CeO explained: “During

2014, sohar Aluminium will

undertake an upgrade of the

pot lining, thereby opening

new avenues in term of current

efficiency and operating

amperage. We will complete

the pot change out of our first

generation of pots. The full

deployment of the potential of

these new state-of-the-art pots

will be achieved by the end of

the year. This will hopefully lead

nature of the plant’s operations.

In fact, sA’s economic

and social contribution has a

positive impact on a number of

different fronts, says CeO Mr.

said Mohammed Al Masoudi.

“It directly employs a large

number of people in skilled

well-paying jobs, which have

raised the overall skill base of

the Batinah region and the

country. The demand for goods

and services that sA generates

has supported the development

of other industries across the

region and the country – and by

meeting the standards necessary

to supply sA, these companies

are able to compete further for

other business.

similarly, the aluminium-

based downstream cluster in

sohar that sA supplies with

metal has a ripple effect,

creating further skilled jobs and

a local supplier base. The import

and export of raw materials

and finished products has also

supported the development

of a viable port and logistics

infrastructure in sohar.”

60 61

welding and technical courses

through to safety, management

and leadership training. set up

within the sohar complex, the

academy has won the plaudits of

the Ministry of Manpower and

will soon offer internationally

recognised certifications too.

In fact, skills development is

one of sA’s many successes, the

most notable being its CsR and

social Investment Programme.

The envy of the private sector,

this laudable programme

has benefited numerous

initiatives aimed at advancing

sustainability objectives,

education, sMe development,

charitable causes, volunteering,

environmental schemes, and

so on. Much of this funding

support is channelled through

a collaborative arrangement

with fellow industries Vale

Oman and Orpic, which are

also based at sOHAR Port.

Dubbed ‘Jusoor’ (Bridges), the

initiative has many notable

achievements to its credit, such

as the funding of an aluminium

crafts project of the Public

Authority for Craft Industries

(PACI), construction of a building

for Al Noor Association for the

Blind, supplies of GPs devices,

equipment and torches for

fishermen of nearby coastal

villages, training of Omani

welders and fabricators,

establishment of an educational

village that supports adult

literacy, and sponsorship of

Oman Youth Rally Cup, among a

host of other projects.

Although modest by the

standards of the region’s giant

steel plans, sohar steel has

demonstrated an aggressive

appetite for growth that belies

its size. starting out as a mid-

scale rebar manufacturing

facility in an industrial park not

far from the port, the company

has made strategic investments

upstream and downstream of its

operations to evolve into a truly

integrated steel mill.

This impressive

transformation exemplifies the

ambitions of one of Oman’s

fastest growing steel mills which,

along with its sister venture,

sharq sohar steel Rolling Mills

LLC (sssRM), is the dominant

producer of reinforcing bars

(rebars) for the country’s rapidly

expanding construction and

infrastructure sectors.

Like cement, rebar is

also a strategically important

commodity because of its

universal use as reinforcement

in concrete or asphalt pourings.

Keeping the domestic market

well-supplied with this vital

product has been a core

operational objective of sohar

steel and its sister firm.

But building on this

commitment, the group’s

shareholders have since taken

the laudable step of expanding

the upgrading its manufacturing

facilities to make Oman

self-sufficient in the domestic

production of rebars. That

important goal is set to material

in the latter part of the second

quarter of 2014 when the new

capacity is brought on stream.

“With the expanded

production capacity of steel, the

entire domestic requirement of

this commodity will be fully met,

thereby eliminating the need for

imports. Thus, our project will

not only contribute to making

Oman self-sufficient in rebar

manufacturing capacity, but it

will also catalyse the growth of

various related industries and

businesses, as well as open

up employment opportunities

for Omani nationals,” said Mr.

Khalid Tawfiq Jawad Abdul

Rasool, Chairman.

set on a 25-hectare plot

within the Port of sohar, sohar

steel’s Melt shop is backward

integrated unit with a rolling

mill operated by sister firm

sharq sohar at the nearby sohar

Industrial estate. All of sohar

steel’s present output of roughly

300,000 tons per year (tpy) of

mild steel billets is consumed

by sharq sohar’s rolling mill to

produce rebars for the domestic

and regional markets.

But with domestic demand

for construction steel growing by

leaps and bounds, the group has

embarked on a major expansion

and upgrade of its facilities. The

centerpiece Melt shop of sohar

steel at the industrial port is the

subject of a major upgrade that

will see capacity ramped up from

the present 300,000 MT/year to

an impressive 700,000 MT/year.

The new capacity is slated to be

brought into operation towards

the end of the first quarter of

2014, subject to the receipt of

final environmental clearances

from the relevant authorities,

said Mr. G.N. Khadse, CeO,

sohar steel.

At the same time, a newly

acquired rolling mill set up

in the uAe emirate of Ras Al

Khaimah is being refurbished

and relocated to sohar

steel’s complex. Boasting a

capacity of 500,000 MT/year

of rolled products, the plant is

a continuous rolling mill-type

facility with slitting technology

and online TMT process features.

At the heart of the facility is

a highly fuel efficient walking

beam type billet heating furnace

supplied by Bendotti of Italy.

“The steel mill owned by

RAK steel is quite brand new

with technology and production

capacity matching with the

requirement of sohar steel.

Given these characteristics, it

was eminently feasible and cost-

effective for us to shift, upgrade,

commission, and ultimately bring

this mill to commercialization in

a timely and efficient manner,

rather than go in for a new mill

altogether based on equipment

from a different supplier,” Mr.

Khadse stated.

grOwTH rEINfOrCEd

sohar steel’s expansion and upgrade also achieves an important strategic national objective – making the sultanate reasonably self-sufficient in domestic

rebar production capacity.

SOHar STEEl

62 63

of less than 80,000 MT/year of

rolled steel by sssRM in 1995,

the Group’s combined output

is poised to grow 10-fold to

800,000 MT/year by the end of

this year, while steel production

is set to double to 700,000 MT/

year. This impressive growth leap

exemplifies the ambitious vision

of a Group that began life as a

humble building materials trader

four decades ago.

MeTO has since diversified

its manufacturing portfolio with

the establishment of Middle

east Conversion Industry in

2002. The company’s epoxy

Coating Plant, which provides

fusion bonded epoxy coating

services for deformed steel bars,

came on stream in 2003. It is

the only fusion bonded epoxy

coating facility of its kind in the

sultanate. A Weld Mesh Plant

was added in 2007 producing

welded wire meshes of different

sizes in line with international

standards and customer

specifications. All three units

cater to the local industry’s

requirements of high quality

steel products.

boosting the size of the Omani

workforce within the group to

around 175. The new recruits

are being trained in a variety

of technical disciplines that will

place them on the frontline of

the company’s operations.

sustainability and

environmental safety are

key values underlying sohar

steel’s operations and growth

objectives, says the CeO. “With

the exponential industrial growth

of Oman, sohar steel LLC is

committed to adhering to strict

environmental norms applicable

to its operations in sohar. In

support of this commitment, we

will also embrace Best

Available Techniques (BAT)

designed to keep our

surroundings clean and green.”

significantly, the expansion

and upgrade are in line with

the long-term strategy of

sohar steel and its parent

organization, Middle east Traders

Oman (MeTO), to emerge as

a dominant player in the steel

and rebar industry in Oman the

wider region.

starting out with a capacity

Output from the upgraded

Melt shop will serve as feedstock

for the existing rolling mill of

sharq sohar steel Rolling Mills,

as well as the new rolling mill

nearing completion at the

industrial port. According to

the CeO, the additional output

will enable the manufacture

of different billet sizes, while

the group will also be able to

exercise better control in the size

distribution of rebars at either

rolling mill.

As a result of the upgrade

and expansion, the group’s

combined production will

be more than doubled to a

remarkable 700,000 MT/year.

This upgrade, together with

planned investments in a new

DRI plant, promise to transform

sohar steel into an integrated

steel rolling mill, the CeO noted.

Aside from the strategic and

commercial significance of the

upgrade to sohar steel’s business

growth, it also has an important

socioeconomic spinoff. Around

50 young Omanis will be

gainfully employed when the

new facilities come on stream, Web: www.soharsteel.com

Sharq Sohar Steel Rolling Mills LLCSohar Industrial Estate, Road no 6

PB No 12 (SIE), PC 327, Sohar, OmanTel: +968 26751567; Fax: 26751569

Email: sssrm@omantel.net.om

Marketing OfficeThe Middle East Traders (Oman) LLCPB No: 406, PC 114, Muttrah, OmanTel: 24590694 /95 /96, Fax: 24590496Email: sssrmsms@omantel.net.om

Middle East Conversion Industry LLCSohar Industrial EstatePB No: 12 (SIE), PC 327, Sohar, OmanTel: 26751405, 26751208, Fax 26751249Email: ecp@soharsteel.com, weldmesh@soharsteel.com

Sharq Sohar Steel Rolling Mills LLCSohar Industrial Estate, Road no 6

PB No 12 (SIE), PC 327, Sohar, OmanTel: +968 26751567; Fax: 26751569

Email: sssrm@omantel.net.om

Sohar Steel LLCSIPC, Plot no 11

PB No 452, PC 322, Majees, OmanTel: +968 26850205, Fax : +968 26850204

Email: info@soharsteelsms.com

REBARS BILLETS

EPOXY WELD MESH

Adding Strength of Steel to the Sultanate

Sohar Steel

“with the exponential industrial growth of Oman, Sohar Steel llC is committed to adhering to strict environmental norms applicable to its operations in Sohar. In support of this commitment, we will also embrace best available Techniques (baT) designed to keep our surroundings clean and green.”

64 65

The offshore fabrication capabilities of Larsen & Toubro’s Modular Fabrication Yard at sOHAR Port can best be summed up in one word – gargantuan – judging by the immensity of the structures that are loaded out from its jetty en route to customers around the world.

Take, for example, the jack-up rig sagar uday that sailed out in April 2013 after an extensive upgrade at sohar. soaring to a height of 120 metres, the mammoth independent leg cantilever-style drilling rig, weighing in excess of 10,000 MT, had many at the busy sohar waterfront gazing in awe as it sailed for the hydrocarbon-rich Mumbai High region off India’s West coast. Other equally colossal structures have sailed out to destinations as far afield as the Far east, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle east. Their sheer size and complexity attest to the formidable technological capabilities of Oman’s only modular fabrication yard.

L&T Modular Fabrication Yard LLC is a joint venture of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a usD 14 billion technology, engineering, construction and manufacturing major headquartered in India, and The Zubair Group, a prominent and well-diversified Omani business house. The JV

set up the yard in sohar with the aim of developing a regional manufacturing hub to cater to the growing needs of Oil & Gas industries in the Gulf and beyond.

Launching operations in 2007, the yard has already established a record of sorts in the successful delivery of a number of huge and technologically impressive structures, including offshore jackets, wellhead decks, bridges, flare towers, and offshore jack up rigs.

The 2012-2013 timeframe has been an especially momentous period for the company, characterised by the successful execution of an array of very large projects. The most prestigious was a contract from the Thai state-owned oil & gas major PTTeP for the fabrication of three jackets, each weighing around 8,000 MT and three wellhead topsides of around 1,500 MT each. equally notable was a contract from ADMA-OPCO, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for the fabrication of five wellhead platforms with combined finished tonnage of around 17,000 MT. Indian major Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) followed suit with an order for the refurbishment of its jack-up drilling rig, sagar uday, a contract won in a fiercely

contested international tender.The succession of contracts

has seen the yard operating at well above peak capacity during the past two years. Annual output has averaged 66,000 MT of modular finished goods during 2012 and 2013, representing a three-fold increase over the average yearly production of previous years.

This dramatic growth in output has helped draw international attention to the yard’s fabrication capabilities, as well as the strength of its engineering prowess. spread over an area of 500,000 square metres, the facility’s fabrication capabilities span the full spectrum of offshore structures required by the oil and gas industry. They include wellhead and process platform topsides (Decks), Jackets, Jack-up Rigs, Floating Production, storage and Offloading (FPsO) systems, Pipe Rack Modules, Process Modules, and so on. Annual production capacity is around 50,000 MT of finished modules. A dedicated 300-metre-long quay wall allows for the load-out of ultra-large offshore modules of up to 20,000 MT.

Not surprising, L&T MFY was adjudged the ‘Best Offshore Construction Yard’ in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region at the Marine International Maritime awards

bIrTHINg bEHEmOTHSA sizzling three-fold jump in the output of manufactured modules from its sohar yard has effectively catapulted Larsen & Toubro MFY into the ranks of the world’s offshore fabrication heavyweights

l&T mOdular fabrICaTION yard llC

66 67

areas of L&T’s sohar operations,

including engineering, design,

manufacturing, quality control,

project planning, finance

and accounts, IT, materials

management, personnel and

administration, and safety

and security. Indeed, the

execution of large prestigious

international projects for export

from L&T Modular Fabrication

Yard has enabled the transfer

of specialised fabrication

technologies to the sultanate of

Oman.

Besides providing jobs to

around 650 Omani employees,

the contracts have also

facilitated the growth of ancillary

units that provide a range of

support services to the yard,

thus contributing to the overall

industrial development of sohar

and Oman.

alone, but on qualitative

improvement of the skills of

our Omani employees through

training and the upgrade of

their competency levels to world

standards.

Continuous training and

skills development are intrinsic

to L&T’s operations across

the globe. sohar too has

benefitted from this traditional

L&T commitment. A dedicated

training centre at sohar imparts

a high level of welding skills.

It equips local youth with the

capabilities that will place

them at par with the best in

the industry. Training and skills

development enhance the

employees’ earning capacity and

contribute to improvements in

their overall standard of living.

In line with these goals,

the recruitment of Omani

nationals has been consistent

at multiple levels. Omanis are

recruited and employed in all

Asia, europe and Africa, thereby

generating foreign exchange for

the country. Furthermore, the

company continues to leverage

its proximity to the major oil

producing countries of the

Middle east and North African

region to attract new business

to sohar.

In developing its business

at sohar, L&T MFY is guided

by a core philosophy that

seeks, on the one hand, to

generate healthy and long-

term financial returns for all

stakeholders, but also on the

other, create shared values and

attract growth opportunities

for the local community. The

overriding focus is on achieving

sustainable growth in harmony

with the environment and the

surrounding community.

Omanisation fits squarely

with the company’s higher

objective of participative growth.

The emphasis is not on numbers

ceremony in 2011. It also won

the prestigious Hse excellence

Award from the American

society of safety engineers in

2012, as well as a much-coveted

award from the Royal society

for the Prevention of Accidents.

L&T MFY was very recently

awarded the coveted five-star

rating by British safety Council

for its robust Health & safety

Management system.

From the outset, the

sohar yard has been playing a

significant role in supporting the

country’s economic development

through an emphasis on value

creation and export promotion.

As the only facility of its kind in

Oman and among the largest

in the region, the yard is well-

positioned to meet the needs

of Oil & Gas industries of the

region and beyond. Most of

its manufactured modules are

exported to countries in the Gulf,

Indian subcontinent, southeast

L&T Advert

68 69

Building on five years of

sustained business growth, L&T

Heavy engineering LLC – Oman’s

only workshop that offers

custom-engineered metallurgical

solutions to a wide range of

industries – wrapped up 2013

on a robust note. Thanks to a

healthy order book, revenues

were up a vigorous 25 per

cent over the previous year,

while the company was on

track to posting an operating

profit for the first time since it

commenced operations five

years ago.

A joint venture between

Indian engineering conglomerate

Larsen & Toubro Limited and

The Zubair Corporation of

Oman, L&T Heavy engineering

LLC operates the sultanate’s

only workshop designed and

equipped to offer bespoke

custom-engineered metallurgical

solutions to a wide range of

industries.

At the heart of its sohar

operations is a massive

fabrication shop fitted out with

an extensive array of high-tech

systems and tools suitable for

the manufacture of precision

engineering critical systems

for core sector industries, such

as Refineries, Petrochemical

and Fertiliser projects, and

other process industries and

Power plants in the region. Its

location at the industrial port,

adjoining the equally modern

plant of its sister firm, L&T

Modular Fabrication Yard LLC,

gives the Heavy engineering

unit an unbeatable advantage

in meeting the increasingly

complex metallurgical

engineering demands of regional

and international clients.

Already the company has

amassed a sizable portfolio

of contracts that promise to

keep the state-of-the-art facility

humming with activity well into

2014. “We have healthy order

backlog for 2014 on account of

major orders from Alstom Power

(Germany) for the manufacture

of critical gasification equipment

for the expansion project of

Reliance Jamnagar (India), as

well as critical HDs reactors for a

refinery in Mexico involving new

generation Cr-Mo-V material,”

said Mr. Pallav Chattopadhyay,

Head – L&T Heavy engineering

LLC (sohar Works).

“The company is

aggressively bidding for major

orders from internationally

reputed ePC players involving

over-dimensional and super

heavy equipment, while also

targeting business opportunities

within the domestic Oil & Gas

sector in Oman as well as other

GCC countries. The bulk of

these orders are planned to

be executed in the large open

yard adjacent to the covered

shops. Furthermore, we are

expecting to undertake many

specialized modification / revamp

and failure analysis jobs for the

domestic process industries.

All of these opportunities put

together, coupled with the

current growth of the global oil

and gas industry, will contribute

to a healthy growth in order

booking across all our product

lines,” he added.

Impressive client roster

L&T He continues to

attract a growing array of

reputable ePC contractors as

well as international players

in the energy, refining and

petrochemical industries to its

sohar yard. The list includes

Petroleum Development Oman

(PDO), Foster Wheeler (usA),

Alstom Power (Germany), Tupras

(Turkey), ecopetrol (Columbia),

Petrofac (uAe), enerflex

(Canada), Cobra (Mexico), Pall

Corporation (uAe), equate

(Kuwait), OMPL (India) and Matix

(India).

The yard’s impressive success,

very early on in its operation,

is attributable to a number of

factors, says Mr. Chattopadhyay.

“Foremost is our track record

for on-time delivery of orders

and to the quality standards

expected by the client. In fact,

safety and quality are part of

our core value system. We have

embraced world-class systems

and procedures developed by

sister units back in India at every

level of our operations. Together

with a high level of automation,

and the continuous training and

development of our workforce,

we strive to position ourselves

on the cutting edge of the heavy

engineering industry.”

The executive cites a

number of examples that he

says showcases the unrivalled

prowess and capabilities of

L&T He in the field of heavy

engineering. In one complex

order executed last year, the

company fabricated and

supplied 16 high thickness steam

accumulators, each weighing

160 metric tons, to Abenesia

(spain) for installation at a south

Africa solar power plant. In all,

equipment involving around

5,000 MT of high strength

quenched and tempered steel

was built and supplied in less

than eight months, he said.

Another prestigious order

being executed by the company

pertains to the supply of 10

sets of highly critical HTHR

equipment to be installed in

an upcoming gasification plant

in India. Awarded by Alstom

Power (Germany), the order

will be completed by mid-2015.

But demonstrating its

superior capabilities was an

order received from faraway

Mexico for the supply of two

high thickness reactors made

from new generation Cr-Mo-V

steel. “This breakthrough order

has effectively placed L&T He in

a select list of not more than a

dozen countries worldwide that

have the requisite technology

and know-how for the handling

of this critical material,” the

yard’s Head commented.

Closer home, the company

took up the challenge of

manufacturing a replacement

Wet Gas scrubber Assembly

for the sohar refinery of Orpic

that was damaged in a fire

incident.

“The order was accepted

with a pledge to deliver in a

record-breaking 62 days against

a typical delivery period of

over five months for a piece

of equipment of this type.

ultimately, the equipment was

delivered in 55 days, creating a

new benchmark and thereby

helping Orpic expedite the

restart of its plant.”

Experience and expertise

Contracts from prominent

players from Oman’s energy

sector have also been

contributing to the yard’s

order-book. For Petroleum

Development Oman (PDO),

the sultanate’s top oil and gas

producer, L&T He successfully

executed eight critical pressure

vessels for the oil firm’s Lekhwair

project. A further eight vessels

are under construction for PDO’s

saih Rawl facility.

SINglE SOurCE mETallurgICal SOluTIONSWith a swelling order book that includes contracts secured from renowned international companies, L&T Heavy engineering LLC is well-positioned to claim the top spot among the region’s providers of high performance, custom-engineered metallurgical solutions.

l&T HEavy ENgINEErINg llC

70 71

lOgISTICSCluSTEr

Conducted every week, it provides new employees with an effective platform to develop their presentation skills, as well as their self-confidence.

Looking ahead, Mr. Chattopadhyay is upbeat about the future growth prospects of L&T He. “Having already invested more than us$55 million in the development of this high-tech facility, we look forward to accelerated growth in the coming years. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to training and developing local talent with the goal of reducing our dependence on foreign workers. In this regard, we hope to work with various government bodies, sOHAR Port and Freezone management, and other local institutes in the implementation of an effective In-Country Value strategy. Our ultimate goal is to develop a workshop that is not only the best in the Middle east and Asia but across the

globe.”

the manufacture of extra-large diameter columns and vessels weighing up to 3000 MT.

Ongoing upgrades

Importantly, the goal of operating a truly world-class yard at sohar goes hand in hand with L&T He’s ongoing commitment to developing local talent and preparing young Omanis for highly technical jobs at the facility. Towards this end, the company has partnered with the Ministry of Manpower and the Vocational Training Centre – shinas to offer a specialized 3-year training programme that covers extensive theory and practical training as well. A new batch of 40 trainees will begin a new round of training in the first quarter of 2014.

Prospective Omani trainees are also sent to India to undergo advance training for durations ranging from 3 to 12 weeks. Fresh recruits are enrolled in the company’s acclaimed ‘Tanveer’ knowledge sharing programme.

of a number of new heavy duty welding manipulators of up to 500 MT capacity. several new heat treatment furnaces have been added as well.

Besides, part of the open yard has been developed as well to withstand heavier loads, thereby allowing expansion of capacity outside the covered shops. Yard development activity will continue during the current year, according to the executive.

Further, in line with its commitment to grow with the evolving requirements of the heavy engineering fabrication industry, L&T He will embark on a major expansion of its capabilities. The existing covered shop will be fitted out with an array of high-tech equipment, such as new generation automatic welding stations, Post Weld Heat Treatment furnaces, heavy duty welding manipulators, milling machines, and lathes. In addition, heavy duty gantry cranes will be installed in the yard to enable

sophisticated technology complements specialist skills in the delivery of complex metallurgical orders. “The sohar yard is capable of handling all kinds of complex metallurgy used in the fabrication industry. Our capabilities in this regard include new generation CrMoV creep resistant material, low alloy steel 2.25Cr-1Mo and 1.25Cr-0.5Mo grades, austenitic stainless steels – ss 321/347, ss 316L, ss 304L, duplex stainless steel, Ni based sncoloy 625 / 825, quenched & tempered steel, and ferritic stainless steel ss 410s. equally, our metallurgists and welding technologists are among the best in world. Between them, they offer more than 75 years of combined expertise in the handling of critical metallurgies,” Mr. Chattopadhyay explained.

As can be expected of a facility that strives to stay ahead of competition, L&T He has upgraded its plant and machinery with the installation

71

73

sOHAR Port’s steinweg

terminal has one thing in

common with the large

majority of mega projects

operating within and outside

the industrial port: It was on

its jetty that project cargo and

other equipment for these large

industries, as well as the port’s

landside infrastructure, was

first discharged and shipped to

site. In a sense, thus, steinweg’s

multipurpose cargo terminal

contributed to the speedy and

economical establishment

of much of this hub’s heavy

industry, which today underpins

sohar’s appeal as a powerhouse

of the Omani economy. Nearly

a decade on, and with much of

the port’s industrial base now

largely in place, the general

cargo terminal is gradually

assuming its traditional role as

the principal gateway through

which much of sohar’s cargo

throughput – imports and

exports – is channelised. Project

cargo, which once accounted

for a significant chunk of

freight, is rapidly making way for

commodities like intermediate

chemicals, steel products, timber,

and automobiles.

And with a deadline looming

for the closure of Muscat’s

Port sultan Qaboos (PsQ) to all

commercial cargo traffic and the

transfer of all such operations

to sohar, steinweg Oman is

moving to put in place the

requisite wherewithal to cater to

the new volumes headed in its

direction.

The Ministry of Transport

and Communications, which

is overseeing the conversion of

PsQ into a tourism and heritage

port, has set August 31, 2014

as the deadline for the transfer

of cargo-related operations

to sohar. As a first step,

and in keeping with growth

projections, C. steinweg Oman

recently signed a landmark

agreement with sOHAR Port

for the further expansion of its

multipurpose terminal. under

the deal, steinweg gets a further

250 metres of quay and 85,000

sq metres of new storage

space. These capacity additions

effectively boost steinweg’s quay

wall length to a total of around

950 metres, and its yard space to

over 500,000 sq metres.

The agreement underscores

steinweg’s long-term vision to

support the growth ambitions of

the Batinah region, which is an

industrial and commercial hub in

its own right with the potential

to fuel the nation’s future

economic prosperity. steinweg’s

modern and well-equipped

terminal continues to play a

principal role in the loading and

discharge of cargoes linked to

sohar’s burgeoning industrial

sector. High productivity and

speedy vessel turnarounds

translate into significant cost

savings and ease of convenience

for shippers choosing the

steinweg terminal for imports

and exports.

In tandem with the

expansion of terminal capacity,

steinweg is also investing

significant sums in the upgrade

of material handling equipment

and storage yard space capacity

in order to deliver consistently

superior and efficient services to

shippers.

several new additions will be

made to the terminal’s already

sizable fleet of forklift trucks,

MAFI trailers, tug-masters,

and other handling gear. A

high-tech terminal operating

system will be deployed as

well. All of the additional

civil works, superstructure

installations, hardware and

software deployments, and

the mobilization of extra staff,

are due to be completed by

TErmINal bOOSTC. steinweg Oman is ramping up the cargo handling and yard capacity of itsbreak bulk terminal at sOHAR Port in anticipation of a significant spurt in freightvolumes in the lead up to the closure of Muscat’s Port sultan Qaboos later thisyear.

C. STEINwEg OmaN

In keeping with growth projections, C. Steinweg Oman recently signed a landmark agreement with SOHar port for the further expansion of its multipurpose terminal. under the deal, Steinweg gets a further 250 metres of quay and 85,000 sq metres of new storage space.

75

around July this year. The biggest

growth is expected to be seen

in the terminal’s RO-RO business

with dealers of motor cars and

other automotive vehicles and

equipment choosing sOHAR

Port to ship in increasing

volumes of vehicles for the

domestic and regional markets.

RO-RO volumes are projected

to rise significantly in the lead

up to the closure of Muscat’s

Port sultan Qaboos, as well as

in conjunction with plans by

the automotive distributors to

establish large logistics hubs at

sohar’s expansive free zone.

After several years of

sustained year-on-year growth,

general cargo volumes handled

at the steinweg terminal

somewhat leveled off in 2013

in line with wider economic

trends. However, the dry bulk

segment remained buoyant

throughout last year, fuelled

by sohar’s energetic industrial

sector. A significant chunk of

the feedstock, raw materials

and finished goods associated

with the region’s burgeoning

manufacturing sector is

channeled via steinweg Oman’s

terminal.

Superior capabilities

Although project cargo

volumes have eased from

the peaks of 2009 – 2012

when industrial investment

was at record highs, sohar

continues to be gateway of

choice for contractors behind

some of the mega projects

under implementation in the

northern half of the country.

Take the multibillion dollar

Muscat International Airport

modernization project,

for example. Contractors

undertaking this massive venture

shipped more than 100,000

FRT of structures via sohar to

the project site some 250km

away. Their choice of sohar over

Muscat’s Port sultan Qaboos,

which is barely 30km from the

project site, was a testament to

steinweg’s superior capabilities.

A sharp spike in project

cargo volumes is anticipated

over the next three years as a

slew of big-ticket petrochemical

schemes materialize in and

around sOHAR Port. Notable is

the sohar Refinery Improvement

Programme (sRIP) of ORPIC,

the country’s refining and

petrochemicals flagship. The

sRIP venture, coupled with

ORPIC’s equally mammoth Liwa

Plastics Project, will see massive

quantities of project cargo and

equipment being shipped via

the steinweg terminal. Also

expected to contribute to these

volumes is a major PTA/PeT

project announced by Oman Oil

Company and its downstream

subsidiary Takamul.

Interestingly, the terminal

is also witnessing a vigorous

uptick in imports and exports of

goods by the string of industrial

fabrication workshops operating

in and around the port. Well-

established players such as

INCO, L&T Heavy engineering

and L&T Modular Fabrication

Yard have been taking increasing

advantage of the terminal to

bring in the required hardware

for the execution of orders and

to ship out finished goods to

markets in the region.

Also auguring well for

steinweg Oman’s business

growth is the free zone’s

growing appeal to local, regional

and international investment.

several ferrochrome smelters,

currently in various stages of

development and operation at

the free zone, will be shipping

their raw material and feedstock

requirements through steinweg’s

facilities. Other free zone-related

investments too are expected

to have a positive impact on

steinweg’s operations.

In fact, the upcoming

closure of Muscat’s Port sultan

Qaboos to cargo vessels is

expected to lead to a sharp

spike in general cargo volumes

being handled at steinweg

Oman. This encompasses not

only RO-RO shipments, but

also timber, plywood, rebars,

and some project cargo too.

76 77

sows; steel billets, coils, pipes,

tubes and plates; and dry-

bulk cargoes. Furthermore, C.

steinweg Oman has established

a Container Freight station

service and is taking care

of all stuffing and stripping

requirements inside the sOHAR

Port area.

C. steinweg Oman is backed

by C. steinweg-Handelsveem,

the Dutch-based international

stevedoring firm with unrivalled

expertise in terminal operation

spanning the entire logistics

chain. In addition to stevedoring,

the company also specialises in

warehousing, shore-transfers

of different types of cargoes,

freight forwarding, and

chartering services. The group

has a worldwide presence

with terminals spanning four

continents.

International Convention for the

safety of Life at sea (sOLAs),

the IsPs is designed to detect

security threats and implement

relevant security measures.

The protocols establish

roles and responsibilities in

matters of maritime security

for Governments, local

administrations, and ship and

port industries at both national

and international levels. Further,

they collate and distribute

security-related information,

and provide a methodology for

security assessments so that

plans and procedures can be

put in place to react to changing

security levels.

established in 2004, C.

steinweg Oman terminal

handles industrial project

cargoes, including heavy lifts,

a variety of break-bulk cargoes

including aluminum ingots and

The resulting economies of

scale promise to enhance

sOHAR’s competitiveness and

consequently drive further

growth.

Safety credentials

Reinforcing its commitment

to providing shippers with a

world-class brand of services,

steinweg Oman was once again

conferred with the coveted

International ship and Port

Facility security Code Certificate

(IsPs Code). Certification

highlights the terminal’s

security credentials and outlines

measures in place that enhance

the security of ships and port

facilities. shipping lines operating

from sOHAR Port can now rest

assured that they are operating

in conditions of maximum

security and safety.

Implemented through the

TErmINal upSIzINg

Along with its migration to a spacious new terminal further up the quay wall, OICT is ramping up its capabilities to cater for a projected uptrend in container

throughput at sOHAR.

OmaN INTErNaTIONal CONTaINEr TErmINal

Established in 2004, C. Steinweg Oman terminal handles industrial project cargoes, including heavy lifts, a variety of break-bulk cargoes including aluminum ingots and sows; steel billets, coils, pipes, tubes and plates; and dry-bulk cargoes.

home at Terminal C. The

imposing hardware, visible for

miles out at sea, is part of a

multimillion dollar investment

that the subsidiary of Hutchison

Port Holdings, a giant among

international container terminal

operators, is making in building

a world-class facility in sOHAR.

Distance-wise, the migration

from its existing premises

at Terminal B to its

new location

at

Terminal C – amounting to

a few hundred metres – may

seem modest. But combined

with a simultaneous equipment

upgrade, it will produce a

qualitative and quantitative

leap in OICT’s container

handling capabilities, effectively

positioning sOHAR for robust

growth over the coming years.

“We truly believe that our

expansion and the opportunities

offered by sOHAR’s location will

stimulate a further increase in

activities at this emerging hub,”

commented Mr. Rashid Jamil

syed , Chief executive

Officer, OICT. “It will

not only make

sOHAR

more attractive to bring more

transhipment cargo, but it

will also offer an excellent

opportunity to bring back

the Omani cargoes which

are currently being served by

neighbouring country ports.

This volume is estimated to

be around 100,000 Teu per

annum, approximately 20

per cent of the total Omani

domestic market. This will also

enhance the possibilities for the

trade to increase their logistics

activities in Oman itself and

will open up more local job

opportunities,” he added.

When fully

Mariners making the final approach into sOHAR will have, of late, found the once-familiar skyline over the port dramatically altered. Three new massive post-Panamax ship-to-shore gantry cranes now dominate the waterfront where Oman International Container Terminal (OICT) is developing its new

78 79

Oman’s Ministry of Transport and Communications has set 31st August 2014 as the deadline for the transfer of all container cargo operations to sOHAR – a move that effectively confers upon OICT the distinction of being the only Omani container terminal on the sea of Oman coast.

OICT hopes to capitalise on this landmark development, as well as its own formidable capabilities as a world-class terminal operator, to grow its business at sOHAR. Already proving advantageous for the operator is sOHAR’s strategic geographical location outside the strait of Hormuz, its first-class infrastructure, strong growth potential, and competitive energy and utility

and consolidate its operations

at the new terminal during the

second quarter of 2014.

Well-known engineering

contractor China Harbour

engineering Company (CHeC)

has been busy at work installing

the permanent quay rail along

Terminal C, as well as paving the

yard and access road, erecting

the container beams, and laying

the foundations for the buildings

and gatehouse, among other

works.

Formidable capabilities

significantly, the migration

to Terminal C coincides with

another important development

– that of the imminent closure

of Port sultan Qaboos (Muscat)

to container operations, among

other commercial cargoes.

operational, Terminal C will represent a gigantic leap over OICT’s existing facility at Terminal B. The quay length alone will nearly double to around one kilometre, from the present 520 metres. Yard space, which includes a customs bonded facility, will soar from 28 hectares to a sizable 68 hectares. The consolidated terminal will boast 7 post-panamax quay cranes on berthside and 14 rubber-tyred gantry cranes, boosting the facility’s annual handling capacity to 1.5 million Teu per year.

OICT is investing in the expansion and modernisation of its facilities at sOHAR. Work on Terminal C commenced around mid-year in 2013 with the company slated to complete its migration from its current site

accentuating SOHar’s appeal is its -18metre deep draft, which allows for the largest container vessels to be comfortably handled at OICT. The deep draft enables shipping lines to call directly with their mother vessels, affording the Oman trade significant economies of scale in the process.

OICT Advert

80 81

shareholders, notably Hutchison

Port Holdings (HPH), the

Government of the sultanate of

Oman, steinweg of Netherlands,

and a number of other well-

established Omani Investors.

Hutchison Port

Holdings (HPH), a subsidiary

of the multinational

conglomerate Hutchison

Whampoa Limited (HWL), is the

world’s leading port investor,

developer and operator. The

HPH network of port operations

comprises 319 berths in 52

ports, spanning 26 countries

throughout Asia, the Middle

east, Africa, europe, the

Americas and Australasia. Over

the years, HPH has expanded

internationally into other

logistics, transportation-related

and hotel businesses. These

include cruise ship terminals,

airport and hotel operations,

distribution centres, rail services,

and ship repair facilities. In 2012,

the HPH port network handled

a combined throughput of 76.8

million Teu worldwide.

which will necessitate the

recruitment of new staff.

Another system called MAXIMO

has been procured to manage

the inventory, warehousing

supplies, and spare-parts for

the maintenance of terminal

machinery and equipment.

Likewise, the billing system

nBis, is in the process of being

deployed.

“OICT will further invest in IT

to improve terminal performance

/ productivity by investing in

a more automated inspection

system of containers and

monitoring of reefers. We will

continue to investigate further

improvements of the terminal

performance by making use of

IT investments,” Mr. Rashid Jamil

syed stated.

With the commissioning of

phase 1 of Terminal C, during

Q2 2014, OICT embarks on a

new chapter in its endeavour

to emerge as a world-scale

container terminal that

underpins the growth of sOHAR

as a hub. supporting OICT in

its mission are its reputable

destined for third-country destinations. The new terminal, with its ability to handle post-panamax size vessels and deep draft coupled with this strategic location, is expected to pull in additional transhipment traffic in the future.

Systems upgrade

Also in conjunction with the upgrade of its facilities, OICT is undertaking a major revamp of its IT systems, aimed at ensuring the delivery of speedy, efficient and hassle-free services to customers. A superior version of the Terminal Operating system (TOs), known as nGen, is being deployed. Besides enabling the planning of all terminal activities (vessel, yard, gate etc), it will allow for the paperless flow of information to and from shipping lines through the eDI exchange.

Furthermore, OICT is phasing in a new HRMs system for managing the company’s ever growing human resources, particularly in light of the Terminal C development,

international direct coverage.

But there is more to sOHAR

than just a state-of-the-art

container terminal, the Chief

executive Officer points out.

“sohar is the second largest

city in the sultanate of Oman

where all facilities are available.

The city is growing and the

Port is an inherent part of this

growth. Its strategic location

outside the strait of Hormuz

serves our business well, and the

hinterland connections to the

markets in Oman and the uAe

are well connected through a

first-class network of highways.

sohar also boasts of a growing

expatriate community, and

foreign investments have been

continually flowing into the area,

making it one of the fastest

expanding cities of the Arabian

Gulf.”

In particular, OICT sees its

growing transhipment business

taking off in a major way once

Terminal C is fully operational.

OICT already handles both

import and export cargoes, as

well as transhipment volumes

the Batinah region in particular,”

Mr. Rashid Jamil syed explained.

Terminal C, with its ramped-

up capabilities, is expected

to broaden sOHAR’s appeal

to regional and international

shipping. Already, a growing

number of major shipping lines

have been operating out of

sOHAR. The list includes APL,

Maersk Line, uAsC, CMA-CGM,

Hanjin shipping, MOL, OOCL,

CsCL, and Balaji shipping,

which operate vessels or serve

sOHAR through slots on feeder

operators. Common feeder

operators calling sOHAR are

Oman shipping Lines, simatech,

and X-Press Feeders.

From its vantage location

outside the Gulf, sOHAR

continues to provide wide direct

coverage of major markets

and trade-lanes encompassing

the Far-east, Asia, Indian

sub-Continent, Arabian Gulf,

Red sea and east Africa.

Furthermore, the manufacturing

sector importing or exporting

any type or category of material

gets a direct advantage from this

tariffs. Accentuating sOHAR’s

appeal is its -18metre deep

draft, which allows for the

largest container vessels to be

comfortably handled at OICT.

The deep draft enables shipping

lines to call directly with their

mother vessels, affording

the Oman trade significant

economies of scale in the

process.

Importantly, the new

terminal will not only enable

OICT to accommodate volumes

migrating from Muscat, but

also cater for organic growth in

the future. A significant jump in

vessel calls is projected as well,

up from the average of 25 ships

that come visiting every month.

“The very purpose of

building the larger new

Terminal C facility is to cater

for the diversion of commercial

containerized cargo from

Muscat to sOHAR. Additionally,

our existing operations will

also merge with Terminal C,

thus creating the synergy and

consolidated operations to serve

the Oman trade in general and

accentuating SOHar’s appeal is its -18metre deep draft, which allows for the largest container vessels to be comfortably handled at OICT. The deep draft enables shipping lines to call directly with their mother vessels, affording the Oman trade significant economies of scale in the process.

with the commissioning of

phase 1 of Terminal C, during Q2 2014, OICT embarks on a new chapter in its

endeavour to emerge as a world-scale

container terminal that underpins the

growth of SOHar as a hub.

OpEraTIONal ExCEllENCE IN bulk lIQuIdS

A host of mega petrochemical schemes under various stages of design and development at sOHAR augurs well

for Oiltanking Odfjell Terminal Oman’s (OOTO) ambitions for growth, says Mr. Ronald Okker, CeO.

OIlTaNkINg OdfJEll TErmINalS CO llC

82 83

84 85

Back-to-back additions

to the tank farm capacity of

Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals Co

LLC (OOTO) at sOHAR Port

have led to the creation of one

of the largest independent bulk

liquids storage terminals in the

Middle east. It’s a testament to

the world-class standing of the

joint venture company’s principal

partners Oiltanking and Odfjell

who, along with their Omani

shareholders, Oman Oil, have

successfully added a strong

liquids component to sOHAR’s

multi-cargo logistics capabilities.

OOTO’s tank farm capacity

has grown by leaps and bounds

over the past several years, rising

to a current level of 1,300,000

cubic metres (cbm). In the

latest Phase 6 of the expansion

programme, around 27,300 cbm

of chemical storage capacity

was added to the facility,

underscoring sOHAR’s robust

appeal to international majors

trading in Clean Petroleum

Products and fine chemicals.

“The growth we have

experienced has exceeded our

expectations,” commented Mr.

Ronald Okker, Chief executive

Officer. “We anticipate more

moderate growth over the

coming years, and to cater to

new demand, we have options

to lease new land within the

port. This possible expansion will

be met on the basis of long-term

contracts and in line with the

products portfolio we currently

handle.”Commercial uptake

of tank capacity at OOTO’s

facilities has remained at healthy

levels over the last several years,

the result of strong, long-

term relationships established

with a portfolio of prestigious

international clients. Coupled

with this is a prudent analysis of

market trends and an excellent

24x7, all-year-round operational

performance.

A greater part of OOTO’s

terminal is dedicated to the

handling of a wide range

of petroleum products,

notably gasoline, gasoil

and naphtha. The facility is

also well-equipped to offer

value-added services such as

blending and additivation –

services that help customers

stay ahead of the game in

an increasingly competitive

trading environment. Pipeline

connections to a tank-truck

facility also allow for the

handling and distribution of

smaller chemicals cargoes.

Growth opportunities

The CeO sees significant

business opportunities arising

out of the Omani government’s

plans to invest several billions

of dollars in the expansion

and development of the

petrochemicals cluster at

sOHAR. Orpic, the sultanate’s

refining and petrochemicals

flagship, is expanding and

modernizing its refinery at sohar,

while Oman Oil Company, the

strategic investment arm of the

government, is pursuing the

development of a PTA/PeT plant

within the industrial port.

“We do see opportunities

to focus on specific segments of

certain petro(chemical) markets

where sOHAR Port, and OOTO

of course, can offer their unique

location, environment of stability

and professional strength ,

experience and first-class tanks,

jetties and infrastructure,” said

Mr. Okker. ”Furthermore, we

are in constant dialogue with

our captive customers like

Orpic, OMC and others to look

for opportunities to expand

and intensify our cooperation,

depending on their growth and

expansion plans.”

Any new capacity expansion

will necessarily have to be

implemented on land proposed

to be reclaimed from the sea

bordering OOTO’s tank farm.

The Majees Reclamation Project,

as it is called, will result in the

development of a prime tract

of waterfront real estate that is

seen as ideal for OOTO’s future

expansion initiatives.

Nevertheless, any investment

in new jetties will happen only

once the company secures firm

capacity usage commitments

from new customers, said

the CeO. “The addition of

new jetties to our existing 6

deepwater berths is an extremely

capital intensive project and

will only be justified by a

significant long-term increase in

volumes handled in the years to

come. At this moment, we are

carefully studying the viability

of such a project together

with our business partners and

customers.”

Success factors

According to the

veteran executive, sOHAR’s

advantageous location and other

attributes have been key factors

underpinning OOTO’s ongoing

success as an independent bulk

liquids storage terminal.

“An excellent draft, an active

and committed port authority, a

unique location outside Hormuz,

a stable political climate and

a quality workforce, are true

assets to offer, in addition to all

available port-related activities,

not to mention a world-class

storage terminal like OOTO, of

course,” he noted.

Adding to this appeal are the

outstanding technical capabilities

of the operations team and the

company’s superior customer

service and safety standards.

“OOTO continues to invest

considerable amounts in the

latest technology for operational,

safety and environmental

purposes. Our Hsse policy is

to adhere to local and national

legislation as a minimum and

to be in the lead in industry

standards. In addition to this, all

our staff are constantly trained

to improve safety awareness and

behaviour,” Mr. Okker said.

This commitment is also

evident from the company’s

unblemished safety track record,

as well as the excellent working

relationship it has established

with the authorities and the local

community. “Our customer

profile which includes top

brands in the global petrochem

industry furthers our claim to

being a quality service provider,”

the CeO noted.

Importantly, Omanisation,

mentored training and career

development are underlying

objectives behind the company’s

HR strategy, which itself takes

its inspiration from government

guidelines with regard to

the creation of employment

opportunities for Omani

nationals. Not surprisingly,

Omanisation now stands at 77

per cent, which is exceptional

for companies whose operations

are of a complex technical

nature. In recognition of OOTO’s

outstanding achievement on this

score, the Ministry of Manpower

recently presented a Certificate

of Appreciation to the company.

“We are proud to have a

highly motivated, enthusiastic

and young workforce that is

always open to improve and

learn. Constant training is

provided to all staff, in-house

and abroad, and our employees

are encouraged to pursue

training and traineeships in other

terminals of the group.”

Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals

& Co LLC is a joint venture of

Oiltanking Odfjell Oman BV

(70 per cent), the state-owned

energy and strategic investment

vehicle Oman Oil Company

(25 per cent), and a private

investment company (5 per

cent).

Oiltanking Odfjell Oman is

itself a partnership of two of the

world’s biggest names in the

bulk liquid transportation and

terminaling industry. A subsidiary

of Marquard & Bahls AG,

Germany, a leading privately-

owned petroleum company,

Oiltanking is one of the world’s

leading independent storage

partners for oils, chemicals,

gases and dry bulk. Oiltanking

owns and operates 75 terminals

in 23 countries with a total

storage capacity of more than

23.1 million cubic metres.

Odfjell is a leading company

in the global market for

transportation and storage of

bulk liquid chemicals, acids,

edible oils and other special

products. Originally set up in

1914, the Company pioneered

the development of the chemical

tanker trades in the middle/

late 1950s and the tank storage

business in the late 1960s.

Odfjell owns and operates

chemical tankers in global and

regional trades as well as a

network of tank terminals.

fOOdCluSTErADVERT

88 89

wHITE gOld

OmaN Sugar rEfINEry CO llC

sOHAR Port will play host to Oman’s first sugar refinery project – an estimated us$250 million venture that will also underpin the establishment of a new Food Cluster at the industrial port.

88 89

90 91

The vision of a multi-commodity hub at sOHAR, anchored not only by petrochemical and industrial projects but agro-related ventures as well, is set to become a reality when construction begins later this year on a major sugar refinery complex.

Promoted by Oman sugar Refinery Company LLC (OsRC),

the project is unique from several standpoints: Firstly, it is the sultanate’s first sugar mill, an initiative that will help reduce the country’s dependence on imports of this staple; secondly, as the source of an important food commodity that falls within the ambit of the government’s food security strategy, the project help contribute to the establishment of strategic sugar

stockpiles; Thirdly, refined

sugar and other byproducts

from the mill will help catalyse

the growth of value-added

processing and packaging

industries in the free zone

adjoining the industrial port.

“This will be the first sugar

refinery to be established in

the sultanate of Oman and will

create employment for Omani

citizens, diversify the economy

of the country, create many

downstream opportunities and

above all, enhance food security

in the country,” said the project’s

director, Mr. Ashwin D. Rana,

summing up the enormous

socioeconomic benefits

associated with the venture.

OsRC’s project will be set

up on an 180,000 sq metre

waterfront site being vacated by

Oman International Container

Terminal (OICT) as its moves

to a larger site further up the

quay wall. A lease agreement

to this effect was signed in

April 2013 between sOHAR

Port and Mr. Nasser Ali saif al

Hosni, Chairman and Managing

Director of Oman sugar Refinery

Company LLC (OsRC). Mr.

Al Hosni, the project’s main

promoter, is a Tanzania-based

Omani businessman with diverse

interests in sugar manufacturing,

sugar farms, as well as logistics.

State-of-the-art

Oman’s maiden sugar

refinery project will be truly

world-class, says Mr. Rana. “It

will be a modern, state of the

art facility that will use the latest

proven production technology

to produce the highest quality

refined sugar. Output is initially

envisaged at 700,000 tons in the

first phase, and ramped up to 1

million tons within three years

thereafter.”

As with all the industrial and

petrochemical investments that

have since started operations

at sOHAR Port, ORsC’s venture

also aims to take advantage of

the excellent facilities provided

by the strategically located

maritime hub which include a

deepwater port and adjacent

container terminal, with an

agro-bulk terminal planned for

development as well.

Further, in line with its goal

to develop a truly outstanding

project, OsRC has roped in

technology leader Tate and Lyle

Process Technology of London,

and project management

specialists Bosch Projects of

south Africa as partners in the

venture. Both are formidable

players in their respective areas

of specialisation.

Tate & Lyle Process

Technology (TLPT) is globally

experienced in designing

and operating cane sugar

factory processes and thermal

distribution systems. These

capabilities provide Tate & Lyle

Process Technology’s business

partners with high yield

investment opportunities from

increased production volumes,

improved product quality,

increased sugar recovery and

energy efficiencies.

TLPT is a member of

Florida-based AsR Group, which

also owns Tate & Lyle sugars,

the renowned London based

business well regarded globally

as experts in international raw

sugar procurement. Tate &

Lyle sugars is responsible for

supplying raw sugar to nine

port sugar refineries run by AsR

in five countries, and will be

also meeting OsRC’s raw sugar

requirements.

Bosch Holdings, on the other

hand, has a long and successful

history in the sugar industry with

a global client base stretching

from Africa to the Americas and

as far as the Pacific Rim. The

south Africa-based engineering

and consultancy services group

specialises in the delivery of

world-class, innovative packaged

solutions to the sugar refining

industry, as well a host of other

sectors, spanning energy, pulp

and paper manufacturing,

mining, agriculture, and ports

and terminals.

Catalysing growth

significantly, OsRC’s

investment will have hugely

beneficial ramifications for

the wider Omani economy,

according to Mr. Rana. “The

investment in Oman of

private equity in cane sugar

refining will simultaneously

diversify the country’s industrial

capability and contribute

to reducing its economic

dependence on oil. It will also

provide direct employment

and training opportunities

to generations of Omani

nationals and provide indirect

employment opportunities to

other businesses, including the

refinery’s supply chain and food

processing businesses that use

sugar in value-adding food

processing.”

As a dynamic and efficient

industry, sugar refinery can

make a significant impact on

the local and national economy,

the industry executive explains.

For one, it will contribute

significantly to the development

of a vibrant value-added food

processing sector, leading to

the potential employment of

hundreds more through both

the supply chain and in sugar-

dependant food industries.

A free zone taking shape

adjoining the port is the ideal

location for the development of

such additional industries, says

Mr. Rana. “The building of the

refinery will therefore provide

the nucleus for the development

of a host of these other

frEEzONE SOHar

92

industries in the free zone area,

thus adding considerable value

to the free zone.”

secondly, molasses – a

by-product of the sugar refining

process – can be further utilised

to feed the cattle industry in

the country, as well as provide

the feedstock for a future

renewable energy such as

ethanol. Furthermore, the

project has the potential to

contribute to the growth of the

packaging industry in Oman to

serve the new refinery as well as

other similar businesses in the

sultanate.

Additionally, the Project

Director sees the refinery

enhancing the shipping business

at the port due to considerably

increased freight volumes,

mainly utilising imported

containers that would otherwise

return empty to countries of

origin.

A major socioeconomic

spinoff will be employment

generation. “OsRC will provide

direct employment and training

opportunities to numerous

Omani nationals at the refinery.

Through our association with

Tate & Lyle Process Technology

and AsR Group, we are looking

to recruit a number of young

Omani graduates during the

construction phase, and sending

many to the AsR and Tate & Lyle

Refineries for training,” Mr. Rana

further stated.

Commercial operations

are scheduled to commence in

2016.

94 95

Oman is witnessing

impressive growth in its

economic development with

more focus on diversification

as envisaged in the Vision

2020 charter for its long-term

prosperity. The strategic location

outside the strait of Hormuz

provides an excellent platform

for sohar to create a hub serving

the GCC, Indian sub-continent,

Africa, europe and Americas.

The city has excellent road

connections to regional business

centres and enjoys proximity to

regional and global shipping

lanes through a world-class deep

sea port.

surrounded by countries

with ever growing GDPs and

populations, sOHAR and the

free zone in particular, offer a

perfect platform and gateway

for national, regional and

international markets.

sOHAR has also started

getting more attention as the

port here has been earmarked

as the hub for commercial

shipping activities following the

government’s decision to convert

Muscat’s existing Port sultan

Qaboos into a tourism hub.

Freezone sohar is one of the

largest free zone developments

in Oman and offers several

incentives to investors, such

as flexible Omanisation levels,

long term tax exemptions,

100% foreign ownership and

import/export duty exemptions.

The Freezone operates on a

landlord model by offering all

basic infrastructure and utilities,

such as roads, power/water

supply and telecommunications

network. It is up to the tenants

to come and develop their own

custom-built facilities.

Al siraj Logistics LLC (FZC),

a wholly owned subsidiary of Al

siraj Investment Holdings LLC,

is developing a first-of-its-kind

ready-to-occupy warehousing

and light industrial units project

in the Freezone to meet the

demand for such spaces,

specifically from small and

Medium enterprises (sMes) that

do not wish to lock away their

long-term capital in buildings

and structures.

Al siraj commissioned a

market research about similar

facilities in free zones in other

parts of the GCC and identified

the need for such facilities in

sohar’s Freezone. The market

research also showed a strong

requirement for warehousing/

light industrial units to provide

a ready-to-start platform for

small and medium enterprises

(sMes) and as starter units for

larger operators looking to test

the market before making larger

scale commitments.

Al siraj has completed the

first phase of its development

and it is now open to the market

for leasing. The first phase of

10,500 M² leasable area was

built on a plot of 25,000 M².

The facility has been designed

with flexibility so that unit sizes

can be flexible to accommodate

tenant requirements.

The standard unit is of 750

M² which comes with three

rolling shutters, two loading/

unloading bays and one forklift

ramp, dedicated shaded area of

60 M² for storage/car parking,

reserved additional car parking

within the compound, joint less

steel reinforced load bearing

industrial flooring raised to

1.30M, one pantry and one

toilet with provisions to add

second toilet, separate road

for trucks and passenger cars,

electricity and water supply,

telecommunication lines, CCTV,

security fencing and full time

security guard.

Within the first phase,

there are 14 standard units

with flexible design to cater

to requirements of unit sizes

of 200M², 550M², 750M²

and larger units of 5,250M²

depending on customer

demand.

Al siraj has retained

Chartered surveyors and real

estate consultants Cluttons

as the marketing and leasing

agent for the first phase. since

the launch of the marketing

campaign, several international

logistics operators who see

sOHAR as a potential hub for

their operations have expressed

strong interest in its facilities.

The trading and light

manufacturing sectors are also

attracted by its features, as well

as the advantages offered by

the Freezone. several trading

entities engaged in businesses

like foodstuff, industrial tools,

oilfield supplies, furniture

manufacturing, pharmaceuticals,

electrical tools and motors,

building materials, and so on,

have also shown strong interest

in the units developed by Al

siraj. The ready-to-occupy

facility of Al siraj will also be

attractive to Oman-based

exporters as they can take

advantage of the benefits of

the various incentives offered by

the Freezone. Discussions are at

an advanced stage with five to

eight international companies

who are seriously looking at

the Freezone for their business

expansion.

Al siraj intends to start

development of the second

phase by the second half of

2014. The design and scope

of the second phase will be

decided taking into account the

strength of interest and market

feedback received for the first

phase. The second phase will

include temperature controlled

units as well. Al siraj can also

develop and deliver custom

built facilities to meet specific

requirements of the parties. The

company has drawn up long

AL SIRAJ LOGISTICS LLC (FZC)

Saluting a visionary Leader!

First of its kind ready-to-occupy light industrial units and ware-houses within Sohar Freezone, Sultanate of Oman

• Standard units of 750M²• Flexible design to provide units of 200M² to 5,250M²• Raised floors, 10 meter clean internal

height, forklift ramps.• With all incentives of Freezone

For a tomorrow better than today!

Al Siraj Logistics LLC (FZC)(A subsidiary of Al Siraj Investment Holding LLC)Post Box: 72, Postal Code 130, Sultanate of Oman,

Tel: +968 24 603 301/24 603 310, Fax: +968 24 600 208Email: babu@alsirajinv.com; Web. www.asliraj-holding.com

rEady-TO-OCCupy uNITS fOr warEHOuSINg aNd lIgHT

maNufaCTurINgThe new facility developed by Al siraj Investment Holding LLC will attract more

industries and trading houses to sohar Freezone

al SIraJ lOgISTICS llC (fzC)

96 97

A new era in ferrochrome smelting has dawned in the sultanate, potentially opening up a new industrial sector with enormous downstream and value-add potential.

Al Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome LLC fired up its modern smelter project in Freezone sohar last year in the first such industrial venture of its kind in the sultanate.

For the company, as well as the free zone authority, the project’s successful start-up was a historic moment, not least because it helped realise a longstanding aspiration of the Omani government to see the country’s abundant mineral resources, specifically chromite ore in this context, processed into higher value commodities.

“The ferrochrome project is a vivid example of value addition to Oman’s mineral resources. We do believe that this first step is a significant step for further investments in the area of minerals and metals,” commented Mr. Anindya Das, Financial Controller.

Al-Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome Company is a 50-50 partnership of Al Tamman Trading establishment LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the prominent Omani business house Muscat Overseas Group, and the Indsil Group of India.

The joint venture’s state-

of-the-art plant is designed to produce 72,000 tons per year (tpy) of high carbon ferrochrome, which is a key ingredient in stainless steel production. Plant capacity is proposed to be doubled to 150,000 tpy in the second phase of the project’s development.

At the heart of the project is a pair of submerged arc furnaces with a capacity of 24 MVA each. The first furnace was commissioned in July 2013, followed closely by the commissioning of its twin in that year. For want of adequate supplies of locally mined Omani chromite ore, only one of the two furnaces is presently in operation. Output will be ramped up to the plant’s full capacity of 72,000 tpy when the current shortfall in feedstock is suitably addressed.

Importantly, the Al-Tamman Indsil JV plans to leverage sohar’s location, given its proximity to a world-class industrial port and access to competitive energy resources, to position Oman as a leading supplier of ferrochrome for international markets. Oman accounts for around a tenth of the world’s total production of chromite, which is primarily used in the manufacture of ferrochrome for the stainless steel industry. small volumes of chromite are also processed for use in non-metallurgical

applications, such as the refractory industry.

Chrome ore for the project is primarily sourced from the mines of Al Tamman Trading establishment, which presently ranks among the largest producers and exporters of chromite ore in the sultanate. The company produces significant quantities of chrome ore from its concessions in the sharqiya and Batinah regions of the country. However, as Oman’s chrome ore is primarily low and medium grade in nature, local ore is blended with small amounts of imported ore.

The Al-Tamman Indsil JV is the first of around half a dozen ferrochrome smelters that are in various stages of planning, design and development within a dedicated ferrochrome cluster at the free zone. When operational over the next several years, they will help position Oman as a leading supplier of ferrochrome for international markets. Proximity to a world-class port and access to competitive energy resources promise to facilitate this goal.

An abundance of raw material is also key factor in the cluster’s long-term success. Oman accounts for around a tenth of the world’s total production of chromite, which is primarily used in the manufacture of ferrochrome

for the stainless steel industry. small volumes of chromite are also processed for use in non-metallurgical applications, such as the refractory industry.

Longer term, Al Tamman Indsil Ferrochrome Company envisions significant opportunity for investment further downstream of ferrochrome production. The JV sees potential for investment in stainless steel manufacturing facilities with an eye on markets in europe and the West.

Both venture partners Al Tamman Trading and Indsil Group are committed to bringing their respective corporate strengths to bear on the performance and success of the project. Muscat Overseas Group is a well-diversified enterprise with interests in trading, contracting, oil and gas services, industry and manufacturing, real estate, agriculture, travel and tourism, among other areas.

The Indsil Group, based in southern India, has business interests in the manufacture of specialty alloys and the power generation sector as well. The Group operates across three locations in India that produce Low Carbon silico Manganese. The Group also operates a hydroelectric power plant and a thermal power plant as part of

its captive power base.

exceeding three decades of creating, nurturing and establishing more than 45 successful business entities in the sultanate of Oman and other GCC countries and believes in ethical business standards.

Al siraj has a strong presence in diverse disciplines including construction, financial services, investments, oil drilling, higher education, manufacturing, travel & tourism, food & beverages, trading, car rentals, equipment rentals, transportation, real estate, and the service industry. The success of Al siraj has been closely aligned with the economic and social development of the sultanate over the past 35 years. Al siraj always played a crucial leadership role in establishing entities capable of playing a very significant role in the socio-economic progress of the sultanate, be it in infrastructure development

and construction, medical and

engineering education, tourism,

manufacturing, oil drilling,

financial services and banking.

Al siraj was created with a

mission to invest in and nurture

entrepreneurial aspirations

through the establishment of

successful businesses. Al siraj

aspires to prominence as the

most efficient investment house

in the sultanate with sustainable

growth and a quality portfolio

of diversified assets. It has

identified a number of business

lines to expand and has drawn

up ambitious plans to achieve its

vision progressively.

Al siraj is committed to

keeping the vision of its founder

alive through the pursuit of

excellence and a determination

to succeed. Its current activities

are led by his enterprising young

generation.

term plans to replicate the model commensurate with the growth of the Freezone by offering high quality facilities to potential tenants. Future phases will be implemented depending upon demand.

By committing to this first-of-its-kind facility within the Freezone, Al siraj has taken a calculated risk and believes that the efforts of the government in creating world class infrastructure and a conducive business environment will ensure the success of the free zone in the near future.

Founded by the business visionary, the late Mohamed Rashid Abdullah Al Fannah Al Araimi in 1979, Al siraj Investment Holding LLC is today one of Oman’s leading business corporations made up of an array of subsidiaries and affiliated businesses spread across the globe. Al siraj represents a robust history

valuE-add IS THE NEw paradIgm

The launch of Oman’s first ferrochrome smelter project bodes well for the growth of a ferroalloy cluster that promises to add value to the country’s

prodigious mineral wealth.

al-TammaN INdSIl fErrOCHrOmE llC

99

PIONEERING THE GROWTH OF A FERROCHROME BASED SECTOR IN OMAN

P.O. Box: 592, Al Hamriya, Postal CodeL 131, Sultanate of Oman, Tel.: +968 24703844, Fax: +968 24793071, E-mail:admin@atifoman.com

London-based integrated

antimony development

company Tri-star Resources

announced last October that it

had entered into a non-binding

Memorandum of understanding

(Mou) with Oman Investment

Fund (OIF) and Castell

Investments Ltd, which is part

of Dubai Transport Company,

to establish a joint venture

company to construct and

operate an antimony roasting

facility in Freezone sohar.

The joint venture

company, to be called

strategic & Precious Metals

Processing LLC (sPMP), plans

to set up a 20,000 tonne per

annum nameplate capacity

antimony metal and tri-oxide

manufacturing facility with a

total estimated cost of us$60

million. sPMP is expected to

enter into a land lease over a 22

hectare plot in the free zone.

under the Mou, the Joint

Venture Parties will own and

control sPMP in the ratio 40%

by Tri-star Resources, 40%

by OIF and 20% by Castell.

Greenstone equity Partners, a

Dubai based investment and

advisory firm, has advised Tri-star

Resources on the establishment

of the joint venture and is

advising the Joint Venture Parties

on the debt financing for sPMP.

The first full year of operation is

expected to be 2016.

The Roaster is the first phase

of the Company’s proposed

metal processing activities. The

Joint Venture Parties anticipate

the extension of their partnership

to a second phase processing

facility, which envisages using

Tri-star Resources’ clean roasting

technology to treat refractory

gold sulfide concentrates. The

Phase 2 project also expected

to be located in Freezone sohar.

Having completed a preliminary

engineering design plant layout

and general site assembly,

the Company is negotiating

an option to lease a further

76 hectare site adjoining the

Roaster site.

Commenting on the

signing of the Mou, Mr. emin

eyi, Managing Director of

Tri-star Resources, said: “We

welcome our partners to the

project in Freezone sohar.

Oman Investment Fund is a

leading sovereign Fund in the

Gulf and Castell Investments

Ltd is part of a diversified

regional conglomerate based

in Dubai. Both parties provide

valuable skills and contributions

to the Roaster project, which

provides Tri-star Resources with

confidence on the deliverability

of this and future projects in the

GCC region.

“We are impressed with the

progress made by

Freezone sohar

in becoming

a metals and

minerals processing

hub in the Middle

east. Our proposed

projects, both Phase

1 in antimony tri-oxide

processing and Phase 2 in

refractory gold processing,

are well suited to the future

strategy of Freezone sohar. Once

fully operational they will be

significant contributors to local

employment and the economic

development of the metals

processing sector in Oman. The

free zone offers exceptional

logistics and infrastructure

nodes, delivers low energy

costs and brings experience in

minerals handling together with

valuable fiscal incentives.

“The Joint Venture Parties

recognise the importance of

developing a strategic and

precious metal focused, eu

environmentally compliant

processing facility to provide

flame retardant ingredients to

the global plastics and chemicals

industry. Antimony tri-oxide

is a critical additive for many

vital manufacturing processes

in europe, usA and Japan.

Hence, we believe that the

plant in Freezone sohar will be

of strategic importance and a

uniquely important project for

Oman.

“Phase 2 is a natural

progression of the key

processing technology

developed by our team in

roasting other high value

sulfide concentrates. Many

antimony deposits around

the world contain significant

gold and many gold deposits

are refractory in nature due

to the inclusion of sulfide

minerals. We believe that our

technology will provide an

environmentally compliant

means of reintroducing clean

roasting as an alternative to

other technologies deployed for

refractory gold processing, such

as; pressure oxidation, bacteria

leaching or fine grinding.

Geological estimates suggest

that between 30% and 50% of

the remaining gold resources in

the world are refractory in nature

to some degree.

“We strongly believe

that a ‘renaissance of clean

roasting’ for gold and other

strategic minerals is now

timely both technically and

economically.”

HEraldINg THE rENaISSaNCE Of ClEaN

rOaSTINg

STraTEgIC & prECIOuS mETalS prOCESSINg llC (Spmp)

100 101

global economic progress and

infrastructure development.

Its three divisions – Harsco

Metals & Minerals, Harsco Rail

and Harsco Industrial – work

alongside customers in steel

mills, railroads, major industrial

plants and natural gas fields.

The core of Harsco project

in sohar is to take by-products

from steelmaking industries

in sohar Port and Freezone

and the region and process

them to produce valuable

environmentally friendly raw

materials for other industries.

Harsco does this globally in

37 countries and over 160

sites and has more than 80

years of experience as the

industry leader. Their offering

is an environmental solution to

industrial by-products.

Harsco MineralsHarsco Minerals Arabia

LLC, part the diversified global industrial company Harsco Corporation, signed a tenancy agreement governing the lease of a plot within sOHAR’s fast expanding free zone. Representing the company at the signing was Mr. Mauro Curi of Harsco Minerals Arabia LLC. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of sOHAR Port and Freezone, H.e. sultan bin salim Al Habsi, secretary General of the supreme Council for Planning, presided over the event, which took place recently (February 2014).

Headquartered in Pennsylvania, usA, Harsco’s worldwide operations serve industries fundamental to

The move home is a result

of more favourable business

conditions in the sultanate,

especially better tax incentives

and lower electricity prices in

sOHAR, which will allow the

company to become more

competitive regionally and

globally.

Oman Fasteners will also

benefit from an existing Free

Trade Agreement (FTA) with the

united states, which will further

contribute to the ongoing

sustainability of the organisation.

This latest sOHAR-based

project will support the local

community through the creation

of jobs, due to the company’s

significant labour requirements,

and will add additional impetus

to Oman’s booming and

increasingly diversified economy.

Investment Company (51 per

cent) of Oman and India’s

Metkore Alloys and Industries

Ltd (49 per cent), is developing

a 108 MVA chrome smelter at

Freezone sohar. An agreement

covering the lease of a

22-hectare plot was signed with

sOHAR Port and Freezone in

June 2012. The facility will have

a capacity of around 165,000

tonnes per annum. Chrome ore

for the project will be primarily

mined locally and beneficiated

before being blended with small

amounts of high grade imported

ore as feedstock.

Metkore, formerly known

as Cronimet Alloys India, is a

leading player in India’s ferroalloy

industry. The group currently

operates a pair of ferroalloy

plants of capacities 15 MVA and

28 MVA in India. Takamul, which

acquired a 51 per cent stake

in the company last August, is

the downstream investment

subsidiary of Oman Oil Company

sAOC, the government-owned

energy and strategic investment

vehicle.

Oman Fasteners

A tenancy agreement signed

last December has paved the

way for the transfer of the

operations of Oman Fasteners

from its current location in

the united Arab emirates to

Freezone sohar.

the art ferrochrome smelter of a

capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes

per annum (mtpa) comprising

two furnaces of 16500 kva each.

established in 2005, Gulf

Mining Materials Co (GMM)

is a 100 per cent Omani

company owned by prominent

businessman Abdulla Ahmad

sulaiman al Hadi and his

children. GMM has since

evolved into the largest chrome

ore mining and exporting

company in Oman. The

company predominantly mines,

extracts and processes chrome,

marble and laterite along

with other materials. Besides

mining chrome ore, GMM has

set up the first-ever chrome

beneficiation (up-gradation)

plant in the Wilayat of samayil

with a monthly processing

capacity of 15,000 metric tonnes

(MT). The plant offers chrome

ore concentrates of more than

38 per cent purity.

Gulf Mining will also be

looking to double the capacity of

its smelter to between 110,000

– 120,000 mtpa tentatively by

the year 2015. Opportunities

for value addition through the

manufacture of ferroalloys will

be explored as well.

Metkore Alloys Overseas LLC (FZC)

Metkore Alloys Overseas

LLC, a joint venture of Takamul

of a state of the art depot at

Freezone sohar. spread over

30,000 sq metres, the facility is

equipped to store around 5,000

Teus of containers and also

boasts a repair capacity of 1,500

Teus per month.

Phase 1 of the yard, covering

an area of around 12,000 sq

metres, has since been brought

into operation. It features a

covered warehouse of 400 sq

metres, a workshop of around

800 sq metres and an open yard

for the storage of 2,000 Teus of

containers. As the only facility of

its kind in north Oman, this yard

is ideally suited for the storage,

repair and handling of empties

for shipping lines and leasing

companies.

Besides trading in all types

and sizes of new and used

containers, Container solutions

also specializes in container

conversions into, for example,

enclosures that are suitable for

onshore and offshore use as

tool rooms, mobile workshops,

generator enclosures, water

treatment enclosures,

electrical panel enclosures,

accommodation units, and

so on. The company also had

depots in the uAe and Qatar.

Gulf Mining Minerals Co

Gulf Mining Minerals Co

(GMM) is investing in a state of

4,000 sq metres, as well as an

open storage yard of 6,000 sq

metres, allows for the company

to undertake multiple jobs.

sOHAR’s strategic location

at the crosswords of sea lanes

serving the eastern and western

markets makes it ideal for

investors looking to tap these

huge consumer markets, said

Mr. Amit shah, Director, Al

Ma Cabrol LLC, in a statement

marking the despatch of its first

consignment of steel cable reels

for a well-known Omani cable

manufacturer.

“As a foreign investor, we

are glad we decided to go ahead

and invest in Freezone sohar.

Along this journey, everyone

has met with our expectations:

banks, regulatory authorities,

contractors, and others. We

also welcome the fact that all of

the commitments made by the

authorities here were fulfilled

in time, thereby enabling us to

achieve this milestone within a

short span of time,” he stated.

Container Solutions LLC

Reputed as one of the

largest container trading,

conversion specialists and

container depot operators in

the Middle east, Containers

solutions has further

strengthened its position in the

region with the establishment

Attracted by the value

proposition offered by Freezone

sohar, a number of local,

regional and international

investors have already set

up operations in one of the

region’s most promising special

economic zones. several others

have signed agreements for the

lease of plots within Phase 1 of

the development. Its proximity to

the deep draft of sOHAR Port, as

well as linkages with the region’s

modern highways plus air and

rail services in the near future,

underpins the regional ‘gateway’

philosophy of sOHAR’s strategic

appeal.

Here’s a sampling of some of

the projects in various stages of

development and operation at

Freezone sohar:

Al Ma Cabrol LLC

When it launched operations

early in 2013, Al Ma Cabrol LLC

became the first manufacturing

facility at Freezone sohar to

formally come on stream.

Part of India-based

shah Fabricators Pvt. Ltd.,

the company operates an

engineering fabrication

facility that specialises in the

construction of factory building

sheds, manufacture of steel

cable drums, and the fabrication

of a host of other such project-

related structures. An expansive

shed spread over an area of

102 103

SErvICE prOvIdErS

For more information please visit our new campus next to Sohar Industrial Port or contact us:Tel: 26827777 Fax: 26827744 Email: info@imco.edu.om Website: www.imco.edu.omCoordinates: N 24.46489 E 56.64320 PO Box 532 PC: 322 Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OMANTOGETHER WITH STC-GROUP… MARITIME & LOGISTICS EXPERTS

Oman and the world are witnessing a huge expansion in maritime activities and related industries like logistics and petrochemicals. The demand on the trades and professions connected to this field is booming. Hence, experts around the world unanimously agree that the maritime industry is the world’s gateway to a prosperous future.

You too...

If you are looking for a prosperous & promising future

THE INTERNATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OMAN

Is your ticket to meeting your goal

Join more than 1500 students from 13 countries who have taken the opportunity.

The International Maritime College Oman is a pioneer and unique college in Oman and the GCC countries. Diplomas and Degrees are granted in the following disciplines:

• Nautical Studies (Deck Officer)• Marine Engineering• Port, Shipping and Transport Management• Engineering for Process Operations Technology

The College also offers a package of short-term courses (standard and tailor-made) in the fields of maritime, logistics, process operations technology and safety courses for the maritime, oil, gas and petrochemical industries. All courses have a modular approach, enabling efficient training through combinations of modules. Training is facilitated by expert trainers and the efficient application of true-to-life work place simulators.

MartitimeCollege_FP.indd 1 13/11/2013 15:25

104 105

For nearly a decade now

the International Maritime

College Oman (IMCO) has been

an example of a world class

maritime academic services

institution, setting a precedent

and global standard for

education, training and cutting-

edge teaching technology in

the maritime industry. ever

since its inception in 2005 as

a joint venture between the

Government of Oman (70 per

cent) and the sTC Group of

the Netherlands (30 per cent),

IMCO has set Oman on a course

of restoring its regal maritime

history through the development

and creation of innovative

learning programmes.

Its mission status thus

far registers a strong leaning

toward success going by the

increasing enrollments for its

diploma and degree courses.

IMCO’s student intake has seen

a steady growth of 200 students

each year. The college’s current

enrollment stands at 1,400

outstripping expectations for

the year 2012/2013. At present,

the college can expand to

accommodate 2,000 students

at full capacity. IMCO’s student

profile cuts across borders to

include candidates from Oman,

Bangladesh, egypt, Qatar,

Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia,

Kazakhstan, India, Nigeria and

Cameroon – underscoring its

international appeal as a college

of stellar repute.

A beacon in maritime studies

The International Maritime

College Oman was born out

of a vision to create a learning

institution in the fields of

maritime, logistics and process

operations. Over its near ten-

year run though, the college has

also become a beacon in the

choppy waters of an increasingly

challenging and changing

maritime industry. It epitomises

the rewarding industry potential

of Oman’s rich seafaring heritage

and has earned reputation as

a college offering unparalleled

excellence in training and

innovative teaching technology.

since inception the

International Maritime College

Oman has attached a few

firsts to its name. Foremost

of these is that IMCO is the

only education and training

institution in the GCC that

offers both Diploma and Degree

courses as well as short courses

for Maritime, shipping, Port,

Transport and Petro-Chemical

Process Industries for both

men and women. It also offers

courses in Nautical studies, and

Marine engineering, as well as

Process Operations Technology.

There are short courses in

operations engineering, shipping

and marine transportation

management, as well as marine

navigation.

IMCO’s unique academic

methods are prefaced by

creating a very hands-on

learning environment deploying

tools and techniques from a

pool of international expertise.

Here it draws on the Rotterdam-

based sTC’s legendary 30-year

experience in training, exposing

students to some of the world

greatest experts in Maritime

studies and Port shipping and

Transport.

The combination of

classroom study and practical

orientation guarantee

training that meets the

highest educational standards

worldwide. Further bolstering

this impressive professional

environment at IMCO is the new

campus at sohar. The expansive

new premises comprises a series

of integrated complexes that

house modern classrooms,

state-of-the-art laboratories,

workshops, simulator rooms,

a library, gymnasium and

other highly advanced student

facilities.

IMCO prides itself on

providing practical orientation

for its students to make them

job ready and employable right

from the minute they set foot

on campus. Its most innovative

practical exercise is imparting

training for the berthing of Very

Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs) at

sohar Port’s deep water jetty.

IMCO conducts the exercise

through a modern bridge

simulator and a team of tug

masters.

The college also boasts

innovative infrastructure

that meets the requirements

and standards of a modern

maritime industry. A full mission

bridge simulator, for instance,

simulates harbour conditions

of all the major ports around

the world. In addition, there

is a Full Mission engine Room

simulator, comprising a fully

equipped Technical Control

Room where procedures can

be trained either standalone or

in cooperation with the Bridge

simulators. The college also

boasts a unique transport chain

simulator developed by partners,

sTC, to impart practical training

to students of Ports Operations,

Logistics and Transportation.

Superb location

One of the main factors

contributing to IMCO’s success

as a leading maritime education

institution is its location. Many

will recall the college’s campus

relocation in 2010 to its current

premises adjoining the port

of sohar. This sprawling 8.5

hectare campus rimmed by

the opalescent sea of Oman

speaks world class calibre at

every level. From the rising

columns of its beachfront façade

to the college’s impressive

arsenal of highly specialised

courses, teaching tools and

academic maritime technology

and even right down to its

plush, welcoming interiors –

everything at IMCO is tailored to

international standards.

More importantly, its

new strategic location is a

vantage point for practical

training and student placement

within the multi-billion dollar

petrochemicals industry of the

neighbouring sohar Industrial

estate.

Its proximity assumes greater

significance in the context of the

practical experience required for

students of the college’s Port,

shipping and Transport (PsT) and

Process Operations Technology

(POT) courses. students are able

to gain the benefit of industrial

work experience as part of

their academic tasks, which

are monitored by IMCO and

the companies involved in the

training process. significantly,

IMCO has collaborated with a

number of companies within the

sohar Industrial estate to ensure

its students receive the industry

orientation they need to make

them ready for the job market.

The college’s success as a

premier institution is further

buoyed by the sultanate’s

strategic location that grants

access to major ports in

the region and around the

world. so, with every batch

of graduates released into the

economy, IMCO is helping

Oman navigate and discover the

limitless potential of its noble

naval history.

Partners for success

One of the biggest

advantages of IMCO as a world

class maritime college is receiving

the backing of its partner,

Rotterdam-based sTC. With over

30 years’ experience in providing

expertise for the shipping, port,

transport and logistics chain

as well as port-based oil, gas

and chemical sectors, the sTC

group is a strategic combination

of worldwide expertise. It

specialises in education,

training, research, consultancy

and the implementation of

service providers for the entire

shipping, port, transport

and logistics industries. As a

shareholder at IMCO, sTC serves

as the college’s wellspring for

SparkINg a SEa-CHaNgE IN marITImE aCadEmICSWith the most advanced simulative technology, highly-specialised courses and a team of international experts, IMCO is increasingly sought after as a leading higher education institution in the GCC and the world

INTErNaTIONal marITImE COllEgE OmaN

107

Middle east shipping,

Trading & Transport Company

(MesTT) is a leading logistics

company offering one-stop

logistics solutions to customers.

With transportation being its

core sector, MesTT specializes

in providing all-round logistics

services to PDO and many other

oil field companies complying

with their stringent safety

norms. MesTT has also won the

reputation of being a specialist

in on-shore project logistics,

and a host of international ePC

contractors constitute its satisfied

list of customers.

As agents of Panalpina,

MesTT offers unrivalled freight

forwarding services. Panalpina

is a global leader in freight

forwarding. MesTT is also

one of the leaders in customs

clearance in Oman with its

outlets at almost every entry

point to Oman including Muscat

International airport, sohar Port

and Port sultan Qaboos. They are

in the process of establishing one

outlet in Duqm Port which is the

budding port of Oman, expected

to be the centre of activities for

cargo destined to the interior oil

fields of Oman MesTT operates

over 90 heavy vehicles of

various sizes to move all types of

cargo all over Oman and GCC

countries. They vastly articulate

their capability by sourcing any

type of equipment from the

market as per the needs of their

clients. The Company meets all

PDO stipulations and conditions

and follows PDO safety standards

everywhere. safety is MesTT’s

passion and is the single most

important factor in its operation.

Being a leader in Oman in

logistics business for over 25

years is a testimony to this.

True to its expertise in

and professionalism in Project

Logistics, MesTT has been

providing on-shore logistics

services to almost all major

industries in sohar. some of the

major clients include ORPIC,

sohar Aluminium, sohar

Fertilizer, Independent Water

and Power Project, Qalhat LNG,

Oman LNG, Jindal shadeed,

Dodsal engineering, Galfar

Group, Al Hassan engineering

etc.

Oilfield clients serviced by

MesTT include Occidental,

BP exploration, BG Oman

(since moved out of Oman),

Oman Oil, Petronas, Hawasina,

Weatherford and many more

contractors of PDO.

Our international ePC

clientele includes reputed

names like Bechtel, Alstom,

JGC, Chiyoda-Foster Wheeler,

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Gs

engineering & Construction,

Doosan Heavy Industries etc.

MesTT provides training to all

its drivers in the PDO-nominated

training centres and they also

undergo certain mandatory/

accepted safety courses. High

quality training is provided to

other staff also as required.

Their work is monitored by Hse

managers and corrective action

is provided and lateral learning

insisted then and there. The

Company uses oracle software

for billing and accounting

purposes and has installed In

Vehicle Monitoring system

(IVMs) for tracking vehicles.

MesTT, as an Omani

company, is proud of having

large number of Omanis on

its roll and is always striving to

achieve the Omanisation targets

set by the Government for the

industry.

training facilities and extend

its campus to accommodate

more than 3,000 students.

Right now, though, its focus is

on consolidating its resources

and enhancing the quality of its

curricula. Also on the anvil is a

strengthening of ties with local

industry to facilitate more hands-

on training for its students.

The next few years will also

see massive investment in new

facilities as the college expands

to serve an evolving maritime

industry.

These investments will go

towards the setting up of a

safety platform, eCDIs: training

simulation an AFF training

centre, a sports complex,

ramped-up hostel capacities and

a railroad simulator. For IMCO,

these expansions will also mean

that it continues to raise Oman’s

profile as a premier destination

for maritime studies in the

region and the world.

training specialists and training

technologies.

IMCO’s endeavours also

receive unwavering support

from its government partner

represented by Oman’s Ministry

of Manpower, which functions

as a supervisory authority. Also

aiding IMCO is the Ministry of

Transport and Communications,

taking care of licence

authorisations and Certificate of

Competence (COC) tests.

In 2011 IMCO signed an

Mou with Oman shipping

Company (OsC) to secure one

hundred training slots of IMCO

students on OsC vessels. This

forms part of the college’s

apprenticeship programme

where its maritime students

are assigned to work on board

Omani ships, primarily those

owned by OsC.

Full steam aheadIn the next five years, IMCO

is looking to develop more

P.O Box 169, Muscat - 100. Sultanate of Oman. Tel: +968 24592723/ 844 / 797 / 566 / 088. Fax: +968 24592838.e-mail: mestgmst@omantel.net.om | www.suhailbahwangroup.com

THE ONE-STOp lOgISTICS

SOluTIONS prOvIdEr

Middle east shipping, Trading and Transport Company LLC provides complete logistics solutions while maintaining highest standards of safety, says the

management of the company.

mIddlE EaST SHIppINg, TraNSpOrT & TradINg COmpaNy llC

108

That National Marine

services (NMs) is the commercial

diving services provider of choice

is evident from its prestigious

client base, which includes,

among others, the Ministry of

Agriculture & Fisheries, Ministry

of Transport & Communications,

sohar Industrial Port Company,

Oman-India Fertiliser Company,

ACWA Power Barka, sMN Barka

Power and Desalination Co, Al

Ghubrah Power and Desalination

Co, Majis Industrial services

(sAOC), Veolia Water solutions,

Port services Corporation

(sAOG), National Ferries

Company (sAOG), L&T Modular

Fabrication Yard, Oman Dry-dock

Company, Oman shipping

Company and various national

and international shipping

agents. It’s a testament to the

superior capabilities and quality-

driven ethos of a company

that now finds itself at the

forefront of Oman’s marine and

underwater services industry.

set up in 2005, NMs is

a wholly Omani owned and

operated company founded by

Mr. Khalifa Al Kiyumi, a former

specialised diving officer of the

Royal Navy of Oman. With its

operational base at sOHAR Port,

the company has since seen its

footprint expand along much

of the sultanate’s coastline in

line with the rapid growth of

the domestic port and maritime

industry.

NMs specialises in the

provision of underwater

inspections and surveys, welding

and cutting, maintenance and

cleaning, marine construction

support services, scientific diving,

and hull cleaning and propeller

shining, among a host of related

underwater marine engineering

services.

Specialist capabilities

The company’s diverse,

specialist capabilities are

showcased at sOHAR Port where

it plays a key role in ensuring

the integrity and continued

performance of a range of

submerged installations that are

vital to the smooth operation of

the port’s many industries and

utilities.

“We have been operating

at sOHAR Port since 2009,

delivering a full spectrum of

marine services as part of

the maintenance of various

installations that are below the

water surface. They include

facilities that are part of Vale’s

deepwater bulk jetty, the

seawater intake and outfall

systems, quay walls and

breakwaters, environmental

buoys and markers, and so on,”

said Mr. Al Kiyumi.

In 2012, the port authority

renewed its contract with

NMs in what was essentially a

robust vote of confidence in its

exceptional standards. under

the arrangement with sOHAR

Port, NMs not only caters to

all of the underwater marine

service requirements of the port

and its waterfront tenants, but

also to shipping traffic. Local

port and international maritime

regulations require that all vessels

are regularly surveyed, inspected,

classified and maintained below

the waterline. Those services are

being provided by NMs and now

account for a significant chunk

of the company’s business, given

the rising numbers of vessels

visiting sOHAR Port as well as

other commercial ports in Oman.

Hull cleaning is one of the

company’s fortes, thanks to

the superior equipment and

experienced staff at its disposal.

“We are the only company in

Oman to possess a complete

set of hydraulic tools necessary

to clean ships underwater,

dElIvErINg ExCEllENCE uNdErwaTErThe integrity of vital submerged installations at sOHAR Port is in the secure hands of a local Omani firm whose specialist diving and marine services are being increasingly sought-after by a growing number of organisations operating along the sultanate’s coast.

NaTIONal marINE SErvICES

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE UNDERWATER!

P.O.Box.1356 Postal Code. 130, Azaiba Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. E - mail : info@nmsoman.comwww.nmsoman.com

National Marine Services, a wholly Omani owned and operated company, founded by Mr. Khalifa Al Kiyumi, delivers a full spectrum of marine services including, but not limited to :

• Commercial Diving Services using Surface Supply Diving Equipment• Under Water Inspections & Surveys• Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV)• Underwater Welding & Cutting• Underwater Maintenance & Cleaning• Support of Marine Construction Projects• Scientific Diving• Decompression Chamber – Hyperbaric Treatments• Hull Cleaning & Propeller Shining of Ships & Marine Installations.• Submersible Hydrainer Pump

Having superior equipment along with experienced staff at its disposal, NMS is also the only company in Oman to possess a complete set of hydraulic tools necessary to clean ships underwater, regardless of size.

The company also boasts a remote operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with colour camera capabilities that can be used to film underwater facilities at depths of up to 500 feet.

110 111

GAC Oman is gearing up to

strengthen its presence in sohar,

following the government’s

decision to convert Port sultan

Qaboos into a tourism port

and for the transfer of most

commercial cargo to sOHAR

Port. Mr. Daniel Nordberg,

General Manager, GAC Oman,

sees good opportunities for the

company to grow its business

in sohar, and mobilisation of

staff and resources is already

underway. “sohar is one of eight

business units that together

make up GAC’s overall business

in Oman. We already have a

team of 12 people in sohar, who

are in close touch with our head

office in Muscat office. Our plan

is to move a number of people

there to support our operations

in sohar once Port sultan

Qaboos in Muscat is closed to

most commercial traffic,” he

says.

The company currently

handles a successful network

of operations for some of the

biggest industries at the sohar. Its

impeccable track record of being

able to provide a comprehensive

suite of shipping and cargo

handling services has won it an

impressive list of clients. says <r/

Nordberg, “GAC provides all

kinds of services to our clients

in sohar. As a shipping agency,

we handle different types of

vessels at the terminals of C

steinweg Oman, Vale, sIuCI,

Jindal shadeed and Oiltanking

Odfjell. We also handle the

logistics for certain prestigious

clients. For example, we were the

freight forwarders for Vale Oman

and Orpic for the past two and

half years and recently received

a two year extension. We also

provided some services to some

of the contractors and service

providers contracted by sohar

based industries like L&T, Jindal

shadeed and several others. We

are agents for vessels of shell.”

The company, he adds,

also played an important role in

the early stages of sohar Port’s

development and transition

into a major hub. One example

of this is when Vale Oman

was under construction. “We

handled the shipping of its entire

project cargo. GAC also handled

the first set of gantry cranes of

OICT when their terminal was

developed,” Nordberg points

out.

The company’s expansion

and growth at sohar underscores

its positioning as a global leader

in services relating to shipping,

freight, logistics, cargo handling

and more. Having started off

in 1971 as a shipping agent for

vessels at Port sultan Qaboos,

GAC Oman is today a leading

shipping and forwarding agent

with solid representation in all

parts of the sultanate and over

the world. A wide network of

offices in all of Oman’s major

cities, including Muscat, sohar,

salalah and sur, guarantee clients

a complete range of services.

“As a service provider, we build

long-term relationships with

our customers,” says Nordberg.

He cites the example of the

company’s relationship with one

of its major clients that goes back

half a century.

“GAC is also about

competent people who know

the business. Our assets are

not represented by our balance

sheet, but our staff. Our people

are committed, willing to go the

extra mile. As our new tagline

says, ‘We Are Delivering Your

strategy’, we are committed to

delivering the strategy of our

customers. Our commitment

is to smooth the way for our

clients, get things done; solve

their problems,” he emphasises.

The company’s vast and

varied portfolio continues to

expand, he adds. “As vessel

agents, we handle all of the

documentation for specialised

vessels involved in seismic surveys

and other offshore activities. For

example, we are agents for the

submarine cable laying vessel

that will shortly start laying a

cable for Omantel’s cable laying

project. Our portfolio of services

is diverse.”

Today, after garnering nearly

40 years of local experience,

GAC Oman casts its net wider

with its sohar operations.

Nordberg is optimistic of the

region’s upcoming business

opportunities in view of the

sohar port’s potential to

attract more ships and spur

transshipment opportunities.

“There are good opportunities

for sohar to grow its business,

attract more ships, and possibly

even develop transshipment

opportunities at the port. The

development of the free zone

with its warehousing capacity

will also contribute to business

growth. For our part, we

are exploring the possibility

of investing in modest-sized

warehousing capacity in

sohar. GAC does not have

that capability in sohar at the

moment,” he points out.

According to him, a definitive

outcome of the imminent

relocation of operations from

Port sultan Qaboos Muscat

to sohar is that the latter is

equipped to handle mainline

ships. “At the moment, only

feeder ships come to sohar. But

with the prospect of enhanced

cargo volumes at sohar, mainline

ships can be attracted to the

port,” he says.

GAC Oman, he adds,

is also looking to expand its

engagements with Orpic (Oman

Oil Refineries and Petroleum

Industries Company) as the

nation’s flagship refiner embarks

on a massive programme of

investment at the industrial port.

“We also envision dramatic

growth when the railway

connecting sohar Port with

the wider domestic and GCC

Al Ghubrah Power & Water

Desalination Company, and

Azaliya Water services. More

recently, salalah Methanol

Company, which operates a

major petrochemicals plant at

salalah Free Zone, awarded a

contract to NMs for the provision

of marine-related services.

What differentiates NMs

from other players is its steadfast

commitment to delivering

services to international

standards. The high calibre of

the company’s complement of

commercial and engineer divers,

coupled with the deployment of

the most advanced underwater

hardware, ensure the delivery

of consistently superior

services accredited, of late,

by international certification

agencies.

In 2013, the company was

conferred with the coveted

International Register of

shipping (IsB) certification for

In-Water surveys in Oman and

the Arabian Gulf, as well as

the Class NK certification from

Japan. “We have now initiated

the process for acquiring ABs,

DNV and Lloyd’s certifications,

as well as membership of

the prestigious International

Maritime Contractors Association

(IMCA). securing membership

is not only an endorsement of

our offshore diving capabilities,

but will also reflect well on our

clients, notably sOHAR Port, for

choosing a well-qualified local

company and thereby staying

true to its sustainability goals,”

Mr. Al Kiyumi said.

In fact, sustainability is

integral to NMs’ growth

objectives and long-term

success, as is evident from its

priority focus on Omanisation

and training. “We are fully

supportive of the government’s

Omanisation policies. In line

with this commitment, NMs

has trained Omanis in the sohar

area as divers who now form

an integral part of our diving

operations team. They are an

asset to our company. NMs

is proud of this achievement

and will continue to support

the training of Omanis in line

with our growth objectives. In

fact, we are working hard to

introduce young Omanis to

this challenging, but promising,

industry. We are also working

with the relevant government

agencies to support the

regulation of this industry

from the safety and strategic

standpoints in order to attract

more Omanis to this field. On

my part, NMs is committed

to supporting the training and

development of our nationals in

this industry,” he stated.

regardless of size. At the

moment, we are certified to

handle ships falling in three

different classes, but our goal

is to build our capabilities to

eventually cater to vessels of all

classes,” said Mr. Al Kiyumi.

underpinning NMs’

capabilities is its sizable inventory

of advanced equipment and

tools. Modern underwater video

monitoring systems allow for

clients to see for themselves the

condition of their submerged

assets in real time. The company

also boasts a remote operated

vehicle (ROV) equipped with

colour camera capabilities that

can be used to film underwater

facilities at depths of up to 500

feet. Other equipment that form

part of NMs’s formidable gear

include the latest underwater

welding and cutting tools,

maintenance and cleaning

hardware, submersible hydrainer

pump, and a sophisticated

decompression chamber.

Growing client base

significantly, a growing

number of organisations with

coastal installations have been

contracting NMs for its specialist

services. Clients include Majis

Industrial services, which

operates a major seawater

cooling system at sOHAR Port,

what differentiates NmS from other players is its steadfast commitment to delivering services to international standards. The high calibre of the company’s complement of commercial and engineer divers, coupled with the deployment of the most advanced underwater hardware, ensure the delivery of consistently superior services accredited, of late, by international certification agencies.

CapITalISINg ON OppOrTuNITIES

fOr grOwTH

gaC OmaN

As the sole provider of

towage services at the Port of

sohar, svitzer sohar continues to

play an indispensable part in the

ongoing success of the nation’s

biggest maritime gateway. It’s

a role that the world’s leading

marine services provider is now

eager to replicate elsewhere

along the sultanate’s coast, in

support of the nation’s maritime

and economic development, says

Mr. Willem De Vries, Country

Manager – svitzer sohar.

svitzer’s association with

the Port of sohar dates back

to February 2005, when under

an exclusive Marine services

Contract, the company began

providing berthing, unberthing

and pilotage of all ships calling

the industrial port. In fact,

svitzer’s powerful azimuth stern

drive (AsD) tugs were on hand

when the first commercial ships

began calling the port at the

outset of operations in 2004.

shipping traffic has ballooned

since 2004, when the company

handled a mere 44 vessels. In

2012, the company’s fleet of

modern tugs provided safe,

efficient and unrivalled pilotage

services to an estimated 2,000

vessels that called sohar.

“Our tugs operate virtually

round the clock at sohar Port,

providing marine services

with the seamanship and

professionalism expected of the

world’s undisputed leader in this

field. Traffic into the port has

been steadily rising in the wake

of the government’s decision

to convert Port sultan Qaboos

in Muscat into a tourism and

heritage port. For our part,

svitzer is gearing up to meet

the strong uptrend projected in

traffic growth at Oman’s busiest

port,” Mr. de Vries commented.

A fifth tug is expected to be

added soon to svitzer’s fleet of

four tugs currently in operation

at sohar Port. In addition, more

crews are being added to cater

for the upturn in maritime

traffic at the industrial hub – a

move that will contribute to the

training and development of

young Omanis for jobs in the

country’s burgeoning marine

services industry.

Omanisation and local

engagement are key objectives

of svitzer’s long-term vision for

growth in Oman, according to

the Country Manager. “We are

committed to opening up new

possibilities for Omanis in our

current and future operations.

And as part of our goal to create

a sustainable pool of trained

and qualified Omani crew for

our operations, we have recently

recruited 16 fresh graduates

from the International Maritime

College Oman (IMCO). svitzer

sohar is investing in their training

and development to eventually

serve as Tug Masters and

Chief engineers. Our existing

crews, who have acquired the

experience and professional

skills, but lack formal academic

qualifications, will be extended

the same opportunities as well,”

added Mr. de Vries.

Crucial for svitzer is that all

crew are in the possession

of internationally recognised

113

for global reach and local expertise

From the port of Sohar and Salalah to any part of the world, GAC Oman provides a comprehensive portfolio of shipping, logistics and marine services to serve every customer’s needs. Click for everything from ship agency and ship supply services to freight, project logistics and offshore support. It’s another world-class solution from GAC - available in over a thousand locations on earth.

Gulf Agency Company (Oman) L.L.C.P.O.Box 740 - Ruwi 112Sultanate of OmanTel: +968 244 77 800Email: muscat@gac.comwww.gac.com/oman

www.gac.com

Bunker Fuels

Freight Services

International Moving

Land Transportation

Offshore Support

Project Logistics

Protection & Indemnity

Ship Agency

Ship Spares Logistics

Ship Supply

Warehousing and Distribution

pIlOTINg OmaN’S fuTurE marITImE

grOwTHDrawing strength from 175 years of experience as a global provider of terminal towage services, svitzer’s Oman subsidiary is gearing up for a dramatic increase

in business growth as maritime traffic soars to new highs in the sultanate.

SvITzEr SOHar llC

114

certificates, allowing them to operate vessels under all circumstances. svitzer is also investing in the continuous upgrade and maintenance of the knowledge levels of both crew and on-site management staff through the in-house Training Department of svitzer Oman.

The Country Manager credits svitzer sohar’s successful run in the sultanate to the formidable resources and unrivalled expertise of its parent group, svitzer. “svitzer’s Oman operations are backed by a global enterprise that operates in excess of 500 tugs in more than 40 countries worldwide, coupled with skills in seamanship and marine support services amassed over 175 years. Our unmatched expertise in this field is also underpinned by our association with the global shipping giant, AP Moller Maersk, In fact, it is this superior prowess in pilotage and towage services that was strongly in evidence when svitzer’s tugs helped safely and flawlessly berth

the iron-ore laden behemoths of Vale Oman when they began calling sohar Port for the first time in 2011.

“It was ‘all hands on deck’ when the first 400,000-ton ore carrier of Vale visited sohar during its landmark sailing to Oman in early 2011,” recalls Mr. de Vries. “Our crews were suitably trained for all of the scenarios involving the handling of this giant vessel. In the end, the massive ore carrier was safely berthed in a precise operation that won us the appreciation of the ship’s master and the port management.”

significantly, svitzer’s operations in the sultanate of Oman predates sohar Port’s launch as an industrial hub. In 1998, the group’s local subsidiary, Oman Terminal & Towage Company (OTTC) was signed up by the government to provide pilotage and towage services at Oman LNG’s shipping terminal at Qalhat in sur. A fleet of four tugs currently provides

a complete range of marine

services to vessels calling at the

gas liquefaction terminal.

Now, into the 15th year

of successful operations in the

sultanate, svitzer sees abundant

opportunities to grow its business

in trend with the development

of Oman’s maritime industry.

“We have identified a number

of opportunities to develop and

expand our business in Oman

over the coming years. Our goal

is to maintain our leadership

position as the premier provider

of marine services in the

sultanate. Towards this end,

we are training and developing

young Omanis for the pilotage

and towage business in Oman,

and thereby investing in the

nation’s maritime future. Our

vision is to achieve a 100 per

cent increase in our business over

the next two years in order to

sustain Oman’s growth ambitions

in the shipping and maritime

sector,” the Country Manager

added.

Like its mainstay industrial

sector, sohar has been a magnet

for investment in hospitality

projects as well, judging by the

profusion of hotels and motels

mushrooming all around this

port city. But it has done little to

dislodge the Crowne Plaza sohar

from its preeminent position as

the industrial hub’s – and indeed

the wider Batinah coastal region’s

– first and only luxury 5-star

property.

Part of the renowned

Intercontinental hotel chain,

Crowne Plaza sohar remains in

a class of its own, epitomized

by elegance, superb facilities,

and courteous service. This

splendid establishment is a fine

choice for business visitors and

travelers who crave subtle luxury,

immaculate service, and excellent

choices of cuisine, combined

with the opportunity to simply

kick back and chill out on

weekends.

Not surprisingly, the property

remains an enduring favourite

with all manner of discriminating

guests, ranging from corporate

bigwigs and high-level

government officials to travelling

executives, tourists and even

honeymooning couples.

Inevitably, as the only upscale

property in the Batinah North

and south governorates, Crowne

Plaza sohar often plays host to

visiting heads of state, reigning

monarchs, assorted royalty, and

other distinguished personalities

during their official or private

engagements in this teeming

city. so it’s not uncommon for

guests to run into celebrities

from the world of business or

entertainment during their stay

at the hotel.

Now into its sixth year,

Crowne Plaza sohar continues

to hold true to its reputation as

the embodiment of hospitality

and luxury in this burgeoning

industrial city. set on an area of

20,000 sq metres, this handsome

property celebrated its grand

launch in March 2009 after a

yearlong soft opening that saw

5-star luxury making a maiden

presence in Oman’s populous

Batinah belt.

Distinctive brand

Crowne Plaza sohar is

owned by samco Hotels and

Resorts, a division of samco

Trading and Contracting LLC,

Muscat and managed by

InterContinental Hotels Group

(IHG), one of the world’s largest

and most prestigious hotel

groups.

A landmark in its own right,

this delightful property is located

on the all-important sohar-

Buraimi motorway, a short drive

from Falaj Al Qabail roundabout

in the heart of sohar Wilayat.

The imposing façade, striking

OaSIS Of luxury

Despite a proliferation of hotels in this bustling industrial hub, Crowne Plaza sohar remains the numero uno hospitality destination – a testament to the robust appeal of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) and its distinctive

service standards.

CrOwNE plaza SOHar

116

pool, world class gym, massage

rooms, and steam and sauna

rooms. For the energetic at heart,

there are two floodlit tennis

courts and a sandy pit volleyball

court.

Of late, the hotel has also

emerged as the venue of choice

for organizers of workshops,

conferences, board meetings

and so on. “Crowne Plaza sohar

is fully geared to cater for all

manner of corporate events,

including product launches and

business get-togethers. The 430

sq metre sohar Ballroom, which

features state-of-the-art audio

visual equipment, can seat up to

300 guests, while the Liwa and

shinas Boardrooms are designed

for small, intimate groups. For

larger gatherings, there is the

800 sq metre outdoor lawn

set around the swimming pool

area, which is also ideal for social

gatherings, such as weddings,

anniversaries, and assorted

private receptions.”

In striving for a high

degree of performance,

Crowne Plaza sohar relies on

customer feedback to ensure

that its steadfast guests enjoy

a distinctive Intercontinental

hospitality experience while

staying at the property or using

its services. This feedback is

generated through the brand’s

innovative ‘Heartbeat’ initiative

that encourages customers to

review their personal experiences

as guests.

“We continue to capitalize

on our ‘Heartbeats’ results to

understand the needs and tastes

of our clientele and to provide

them with a richer experience, be

it through improvements in room

standards, our F&B menu, choice

of entertainment, or personalized

services. I’m delighted to reveal

that we have always remained

number one in the eyes of

our guests, judging by their

heartening and positive reviews,”

added Mr. Alonzo.

cent of our clientele is made

up of international visitors

and expatriates, while the rest

comprises a mix of Omanis and

GCC nationals. so our clientele is

pretty diverse.”

Part of Crowne Plaza

sohar’s appeal stems from its

advantageous location within

easy distance of all of sohar’s

principal industrial, commercial

and infrastructure landmarks,

notably sOHAR Port and

Freezone, sohar Industrial

estate, and sohar City. equally

importantly, the new sohar

Airport is under construction

virtually on the property’s

doorstep, making it possible

for customers to check into the

region’s premier hotel within

minutes of their arrival in the city.

Choice hospitality destination

But it’s not luxury settings

alone that draw guests time

and again to sohar’s favourite

address, says Alonzo. “There are

other indulgences as well, not

least the property’s delightful

array of dining and beverage

options. The big attraction is ‘The

Restaurant’ which, despite its

rather innocuous name, is hugely

popular with both in-house

guests and walk-in customers.

specialising in international and

continental cuisine, the diner

also features an outdoor terraced

area that overlooks the hotel’s

swimming pool.”

For gourmands, there is ‘The

Mediterranean’, the city’s only

fine dining restaurant known for

its stylish décor and delectable

menu. Also well-patronised

is the sports Bar, one of two

popular hangouts for hotel

guests or visitors looking to chill

after a long day’s work or over

weekends.

Furthermore, in keeping

with its billing as sohar’s top

destination for recreation and

leisure, the hotel boasts an

extensive array of facilities,

including a temperature

controlled swimming pool, kids’

very successful year with occupancy levels surpassing all expectations,” said the property’s amiable and energetic Director of sales, Mr. Youssef Alonzo, attributing this performance to a busy first half. “We hosted several large groups of mainly technical personnel who were associated with projects that were either under execution or commissioning in the sohar area. Many of them were long-staying guests.

We also envision a similar spurt in volume during the second half this year when developmental work commences or progresses on a host of infrastructure projects, notably the sohar-Buraimi segment of the national railway, the Batinah expressway project, and sohar Airport.”

While corporate and business guests constitute a significant chunk of its clientele, the property has also begun to attract growing numbers of leisure customers too, the Director points out. “While we are essentially a favourite of business travelers, the hotel is geared towards all segments of the hospitality market, including leisure guests. We’re seeing growing numbers arriving from Muscat or the wider Batinah area, and increasingly from the uAe and other Gulf countries. Roughly 60 per

blend of modern and traditional architectural themes, and manicured gardens, exude a mix of sophistication and tranquility. Inside, the lobby area is upscale and expansive, centring abound a marble-lined atrium that soars four-stories to reveal a splendid dome.

All 126 rooms, which include six luxury executive suites, are spacious and superbly furnished with subtle good taste. Amenities are modern and geared to both the business and leisure guest. Offered as standard are facilities such as complimentary coffee and tea-making stations, stocked mini-fridge, flat-panel television, wired and wireless Internet capability, spacious writing desk, iron and ironing board, individual air-conditioning controls, in-room safe, and 24-hour in-room dining, among a host of other features.

Given these high standards and superior features, Crowne Plaza sohar remains the automatic choice for discriminating guests while on official, business or leisure visits to the region. Occupancy levels have risen over the years in line with the influx of investments into the city – a trend that’s expected to climb in the coming years as several mega industrial and infrastructure schemes get off the ground.

“2013 has been a

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118

nchcape shipping services

(Iss) is committed to delivering

a range of quality-assured

marine and cargo services to

its clients across the industry.

These services are tailored to

the individual needs of the

client – whether a fully integrated

global package, the handling of

a local port call or the ad-hoc

delivery of a single spare part.

Over the past year, Iss has

seen business volumes and

market share grow at sohar on

the back of a dramatic increase

in activity at the industrial port.

“The growth of sOHAR

Port since its inception has

been testimony to the

commitment of the Omani

Government, the Port

Management team and the

local Omani population,” says

Robert Walker, General Manager

of Inchcape shipping services

Oman.

“Initial growth was built on

domestic supply and demand,

linked largely to the refinery,

sohar Aluminium and spin-off

industries, but we are now

seeing increasingly independent

gateway activity with projects

such as Oiltanking and Vale

offering a re-export market

and using sohar as a regional

distribution and storage hub.”

“We were instrumental in

providing agency services to

saipem/Afcons when they built

the Vale Jetty, and we have

remained a strong presence

in the port ever since, with

the subsequent operation of

the ORPIC coastal distribution

requirement. We moved

into our new offices close to

the Port entrance in 2009

and now host a team of 10 fully

qualified Omani Port Operations

employees who offer round-

the-clock ship agency services.

Inchcape are particularly excited

about the opportunities that

the Freezone in sohar will bring

to our commercial capability, as

well as the imminent relocation

of cargo operations from Port

sultan Qaboos that will further

drive activity in the Port.”

CuSTOmISEd SOluTIONS

frOm a glObal OpEraTOr

Through its network of over 200 owned offices in over 52 countries, Inchcape shipping services provides its customers with an unparalleled global resource

delivered locally and tailored to each customer’s individual needs.

INCHCapE SHIppINg SErvICES

INCHCAPEAdvert

119

120 121

Mobilift and Partners LLC

began operations in 2005 with

just three staff and four pieces

of equipment. Today, those

numbers stand at 105 employees

and an equipment tally of 180.

These statistics, apart from

pointing to the rise of rapid

infrastructural and economic

development in Oman also testify

to the company’s pioneering role

in the area of heavy equipment

rentals in Oman. Having

emerged as a leader in the field,

Mobilift and Partners LLC enjoys

the privilege of being the sole

provider of logistics machine

rentals across the entire length

and breadth of industry.

“We are the only equipment

rental company who has

cranes, forklifts and man-

lifts on rental basis in Oman.

Further we have our own

technical department which

provides 24-hour service to the

equipment all over Oman,”

says Herman Kiers, General

Manager. In sohar, the company

commands a widely recognised

and highly-valued obligation to

the myriad industries that the

region’s developmental boom

has resulted in. suffice to say

that Mobilift’s emergence as

a front runner in equipment

rentals is intrinsically intertwined

with sohar’s rising economic

credentials in the region.

says Kiers, “We have been

in operation since the setting

up of the sohar Industrial estate

(sIe) and sOHAR Port. We

rented out equipment first to the

construction companies during

the construction of sIe and

sOHAR Port. After completion

of the construction phase we

rent out equipment for the

companies’ operation and

maintenance thereof.”

Mobilift started operation at

the C. steinweg Oman Terminal

in 2005 and in 2006 it was

established as a cranes, forklifts

and man-lifts rental company. In

addition, it serves clients such as

Vale, ORPIC, sohar Aluminium,

Jindal shadeed, sohar steel,

Oman Methanol, sIuCI and

others.

ever since its inception in

2005, Mobilift and Partners

LLC has been the single referral

point for short and long-term

equipment rentals, lease

and purchase. strategically

headquartered in sohar, the

company operates from the sIe

and sOHAR Port, establishing

itself as a one-stop shop for

a range of heavy machinery

requirement in Oman.

underpinned by a robust

demand for the flourishing

industries at sohar, Mobilift has

grown to become the go-to

solution for horizontal and

vertical transport in Oman.

The company’s concentration

of its capacities not only allows

it to compete flexibly across

different fields, but central

coordination also makes its

operations more manageable for

its clients.

Kiers sees immense potential

in sohar. “sohar’s Industry is

growing. since companies’

investments are mainly used

for their core business, Mobilift

provides equipment to facilitate

their operation. Thus, we provide

supporting (logistic) equipment

so companies don’t face the

need to invest in supporting

equipment and can concentrate

on their core activities instead.”

With heavy industries and

infrastructure dominating

development in sohar, Kiers

envisages business potential

at every stage of a company’s

operation. “each new company

needs equipment on a rental

base - first during construction

of the company itself, following

that for their operation, the

maintenance, repair or expansion

of the company,” he says.

Amidst its growing

preference as a reliable logistics

rental provider, safety remains

one of Mobilift’s strongest

suits. The company abides by

a strict and uncompromising

health, safety and environment

(Hse) code across off levels of

its operations. Governed by a

strong moral discipline that its

employees represent the best of

human ‘capital’, and therefore its

most efficient ‘tool’ the company

take nothing for granted when

it comes to the health and safety

of its staff.

With a set of recurring

objectives that stipulate

prevention of accidents with

zero lost time and zero injury to

staff, Mobilift has implemented a

slew of initiatives. These include

hiring competent personnel;

conducting rigorous training;

regular and stringent workplace

inspections; identification and

reduction of environmental risks;

company healthcare to mention

a few.

Going forward Kiers pegs

the company to continue its

forward momentum against

Oman’s ongoing industrial boom.

Outlining Mobilift’s plan for the

year, he says, “We consolidate

as much as we can in 2014. Our

growth will depend on the arrival

of new companies and the needs

of the existing companies.”

LPG/LNG carriers, wet and dry

bulk; containerized and general

cargoes; offshore support

vessels; naval ships and cruise

vessels and yachts. We also

operate our own launch out of

Port sultan Qaboos to support

operations at Mina Al Fahal and

Muscat anchorage.

Iss Oman is part of a truly

global operation. Through its

network of over 200 owned

offices in over 52 countries,

Inchcape shipping services

provides its customers with an

unparalleled global resource

delivered locally and tailored

to each customer’s individual

needs. Its diversified customer

base includes clients across the

oil, cruise, container, and bulk

commodity sectors as well as

serving naval, government and

inter-governmental clients.

You can find us at www.

iss-shipping.com – come and visit

our world of local expertise and

find out how we can assist you

with your operations in sohar.

In the meantime we wish the

management team at sohar Port

and Freezone every good wish

from all of us at Inchcape – your

success drives ours.

Liwa to as close as saham and

sohar itself. Their dedication

and integrity is testimony to the

quality of people we find in the

sohar area, and our sohar office

is fully 100% Omani.”

Inchcape shipping services

is active in all Oman’s ports and

terminals, regularly handling

calls at Muscat (PsQ and MAF),

Qalhat (sur) LNG Terminal,

OMIFCO (sur), salalah, Khasab

and Duqm as well as sOHAR

Port. “We think that the

strategic development of Oman’s

transport Infrastructure will

cement the sultanate’s future as

a key Indian Ocean Hub, with

various maritime solutions along

the Omani coast, from sohar’s

Industrial Base to Muscat’s

picturesque Cruise Harbour

through to the ship repair

facilities at Duqm. Inchcape has

products and services geared to

every requirement and we think

that the future for sohar, and the

sultanate, is very bright indeed”,

added Robert.

Our marine department

provides specialised husbandry

services at all of Oman’s ports

and anchorages for all vessel

types: crude/product tankers;

clients require freight forwarding,

customs clearance, local

transportation or full purchase

order management Iss can tailor-

make a solution for the customer

utilizing a number of global

partners as well as its own global

network.

“We offer a targeted

value-for-money proposition to

a select group of companies in

the market”, Robert added. “We

understand our clients’ logistics

requirements and have plans to

expand across the sultanate as

the country continues to grow

its industrial base from its Oil and

Gas foundations.”

But key to Iss’s growing

success at sohar is the

professionalism of its staff. “To

reach the highest standards,

we depend on our people

and their welfare, training and

expertise. We foster strong

ethical values and a team spirit

that rewards commitment and

initiative. By committing to

excellence, accountability and

transparency, Iss can serve

its customers efficiently and

competitively. We have an

Omani employee base that

come from as far as shinas and

Inchcape provides

business critical solutions

to ship-owners, charterers

and ship managers, with

the full integration of our

shipNet product based on a

comprehensive eRP software

platform that ties together

all departments within

a maritime enterprise to

shore. Our software solutions

cover all the business processes

of financial and commercial

management, technical fleet

management and procurement,

at 260 customer sites globally.

“For sure, the next

opportunities for Inchcape in Port

Agency will be based on speedy,

real-time communications, both

in updating Maritime Principals

and in harnessing the mobile

devices now currently available

in the marketplace, as well as

providing data on ship calls

which enable a ‘mineable’ bank

of information to be provided

to owners, charterers and ship

managers on a voyage and/or

port call basis.”

Iss cargo service operations

in Oman are diversified and

based on a flexible approach to

customer needs. Whether our

dOINg THE HEavy-lIfTINg

fOr SOHar’S INduSTrIES

mObIlIfT aNd parTNErS

122 123

The breathtaking growth of

sOHAR Port, coupled with the

buildup of a large petrochemicals

cluster, has contributed to the

need for a ship waste reception

facility that not only complies

with national and international

regulations but also excels in

the delivery of services to the

maritime industry.

Nature Group, the market

leader in handling MARPOL

and offshore waste, has been

awarded an exclusive license to

build and operate the service

at sOHAR Port. Together with

the local waste management

company, Al Ahlia environmental

services LLC, Nature has formed

a 50/50 joint venture that will

build and operate a waste

processing plant, and service the

vessels in the port by collecting

their waste.

With the implementation

of this project, centring on

the establishment of one of

the most modern maritime

waste collection, processing

and disposal facilities in the

world, sOHAR Port will be in full

compliance with the MARPOL

convention. The waste will

be collected with a dedicated

tanker vessel, servicing visiting

ships so they can discharge their

waste according to the rules

of the International Maritime

Organization (IMO). The joint

venture aims to have a collection

service in place by the middle of

2014, while the facility will be up

and running by the end of the

first quarter of 2015 latest.

The agreement, coupled with

the maritime gateway’s Green

Award label, underscores sOHAR

Port’s efforts to distinguish itself

as a world-class port offering top

quality operations.

Nature Group is a global

operator of port waste reception

facilities, while Al Ahlia is a local

waste management company

that already has a presence in

Oman. Both partners are known

for applying the best available

and most environmental friendly

technologies in their projects

and are convinced that sOHAR

Port is adding a lot of value to its

maritime services cluster with the

facility and service implemented.

In addition, the

commencement of MARPOL

services at sOHAR will add

a new milestone to the

continuous success of the port in

environment protection and the

provision of full flag services to

the vessels calling sohar.

Providing solutions at the right level

Established in 2005, Mobilift & Partners LLC has been the company to refer to for the right kind of Cranes, Forklifts or Aerial Platforms, for short-term or long term hire, full operational lease or purchase. Mobilift & Partners LLC operates from Sohar Industrial estate, Port of Sohar & Muscat. Mobilift has become a one-stop shop offering perfect solutions for your needs anywhere in the Sultanate of Oman. Mobilift has been well known in the market of horizontal and vertical transport in Oman.

Be it Cranes, forklifts or Aerial Platforms, for short term or long term hire, full operational lease or purchase, Mobilift is the one to talk to. We operate independently across the Sultanate of Oman and serve every specific Market.

The concentration of capacity within Mobilift not only allows us to compete flexibly across many different fields the central coordina-tion also makes things more mamageable for our clients.

A single point of contact for all your internal transport matters certainly improves your efficiency and we are only too happy to help.

"Finding solutions at the right levelBecoming the best one - stop shop for horizontal and vertical transport in Oman"

Vision

With dedicated, experienced and well trained staff, Mobilift provides the perfect solution for the clients' situation, and a durable level of high service

Mission

Cranes 25 T to 500 TForklift/ Tele handlersManlifts/ScissorliftsSpiderlifts/Truck Mounted

Mobilift & Partners L.LC.Cranes, Forklifts and Access Equipment

Tel.: +968-26701516/19 Fax: +968 26701550PO Box 379, 325 - Liwa, Sultanate of Oman

www.mobiliftoman.com

frOm grEENfIEld TO grEEN pOrT

NaTurE grOup / al aHlIa ENvIrONmENTal SErvICES Jv

With the implementation of modern maritime waste collection, processing and disposal facilities, sOHAR Port will be in full compliance with the MARPOL

convention.

124 125

SErvICE dIrECTOry

1

service directory

Sohar Industry Port Group Phone Fax Email / Website

Sohar OfficeP.O.Box 9, PC 327, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26852700 (+968) 26852701 www.portofsohar.com

Muscat OfficeP.O.Box 777, PC 116, Mina Al-Fahal, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24 697830 (+968) 24697831 info@portofsohar.com

Sohar Free Zone LLCP.O.Box : 777, PC 116, Mina Al-Fahal, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24697830 (+968) 24697831 oss@portsohar.com

Industries Phone Fax Email / Website

Aromatics Oman LLCP.O.Box 336, PC 322, Falaj Al-Qabael, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26853900 (+968) 26853800

(+968) 26850296 www.orpic.om info@orpic.om

Oman petrochemical industries Company LLC (ORPIC) P.O.Box 261, PC118, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26853800 (+968) 26850296 www.orpic.om info@orpic.om

VALE International SAP. O. BOX : 9, PC. 327, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24402800 (+968) 26759600

(+968) 26759525 (+968)24605193

recuiment.oman@vale.com www.vale.com

Larsen&Toubro Modular Fabrication Yard LLC P.O.Box 236, PC 322, Falaj Al-Qabail, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26847054 (+968) 26704671

(+968) 26847054 skm@lntmfy.com

Larsen & Toubro Heavy Engineering LLCP.O.Box 281, PC 325, Liwa, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26762390 (+968) 26762395 sanjay.sharma@hed.ltindia.com www.larsentoubro.com

Oman Formaldehyde Chemical Company LLCP.O.Box 879, PC 100, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24713311 (+968) 26850260

(+968) 24715442 (+968) 26850271

www.omanformaldehyde.com

Oman Methanol Company LLCP.O.Box 474, PC 322, Falaj Al Qabail, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968)26865800 (+968) 92898010 (+968) 26850540

methanol@omanmethanol.com www.omanmethanol.com

Oman PolyPropylene LLCP.O.Box 277, PC 322, Falaj Al Qabail, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26865100 (+968) 26853000

(+968) 26865029 (+968) 26759525

www.orpic.om info@orpic.om

Oman Refinery & Petrochemical Companies LLCP.O.Box 282, PC 322, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26851000 (+968) 26853800

(+968) 26851123 (+968) 26759525

info@src.co.om www.src.co.om

Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel LLCP.O.Box 312, PC 321, Al Tareef, Sultante of Oman

(+968) 26850459 (+968) 26850438 www.jindalshadeed.com

Sharq Sohar Steel Rolling Mills LLCP.O.Box 12, PC 327, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26850205 (+968) 26850204 sssrm@omantel.net.om www.soharsteel.com

Sohar Aluminium SAP.O.Box 80, PC327, Sohar Industrial Estate, Sohar, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26863000 (+968) 26863001 info@sohar-aluminium.com www.sohar-aluminium.com

Sohar International Urea & Chemical Industries S.A.O.CP.O.Box 3352, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26704000 (+968) 24562631

(+968) 26704110 (+968) 24562731

intlurea@omantel.net.om

Sohar Power Company S.A.O.GP.O.Box 147, PC 134, Jawharat A’Shatti, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24698498 (+968) 26850513

(+968) 24698496 (+968) 26850501

trapower@omantel.net.om

2

service directory

Terminals Phone Fax Email / Website

C. Steinweg Oman LLCP.O.Box : 338, PC 325, Liwa, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26850421 (+968) 26850420

(+968) 26850426 info@om.steinweg.comwww.steinwegoman.com

Oiltanking Odfjell Terminals Company LLCP.O.Box 369, PC 322, Falaj Al-Qabail, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26700301 (+968) 26700300

(+968) 26700306 ootsohar@oiltanking.com www.oiltanking.com

Oman International Container Terminal LLCP.O.Box 82, PC 327, Sohar Industrial Area, Sultan-ate of Oman

(+968) 26865601 (+968)26865612

(+968) 26865607 (+968)26865602

www.oict.com

Service Providers Phone Fax Email / Website

Air Liquide Sohar Industrial Gases LLCP.O.Box 66, PC 327, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26850200 (+968) 26850203 www.airliquide.com

Al-Batina Int’l Engineering & Services, LLCP. O. Box : 105, PC 322, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26751112 (+968) 26753161

(+968) 26750504 saleem@albatina.com

LBH Marketing Oman (+968) 26753163 (+968) 26753167 info@lbhoman.comsamantha.rietdijk@ lbhmarketing.com

Majan Electricity Company S.A.O.CP.O.Box 701, PC 116, Mina Al-Fahal, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26840138 (+968) 24573300

(+968) 26841438 (+968) 24573320

aalhadabi@majanco.com www.majanco.com

Majis Industrial Services Company S.A.O.CP.O.Box 1803, PC 130, Al-Athaibah,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26850536 (+968) 24597227

(+968) 26850552 (+968) 24498703

enqui@miscoman.com www.miscoman.com

Omani Qatari Telecommunication Company (Nawras)S.A.O.CP.O. Box : 874, PC 111, Central Post Office,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 22002200 (+968)22002299 www.nawras.om

Oman Electricity Transmission Company S.A.O.C.P. O. Box : 1224, PC 131 Hamriya,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24573221 (+968) 24573200

(+968) 24573242 www.omangrid.com

Oman Gas Company S.A.O.CP.O.Box 799, PC 133, Muscat,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24681616 (+968) 99261138

(+968) 24681632 omangasc@omantel.net.om www.oman-gas.com.om

Oman Telecommunications Company(Omantel) S.A.O.CP.O.Box 789, PC 112, Ruwi,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24242424 (+968) 24484094 www.omantel.net.om

Public Establishment for Industrial Estates PEIEP.O.Box 1, PC 327, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26751272 (+968)24155100

(+968)24449095 (+968)26751307

sohar@peie.com www.peie.om

Oman Oil Marketing Company S.A.O.CP.O.Box, 92, P.C.116, Mina Al-Fahal,Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24574100 (+968) 26847345

(+968)24561628 (+968) 26847664

www.oomm.com

Shell Oman Marketing S.A.O.GP.O.Box, 38, P.C,116, Mina Al-Fahal,Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24570301 (+968)24570359 Said.alrawahi@shell.comwww.shelloman.com

Al-Batina Power Company S.A.O.GP.O.Box, 139,P.C. 103, Bareeq Al-Shatti,Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24391969

Svitzer Sohar LLCP.O.Box 1671, PC 130, Azaiba, Muscat,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24562695 (+968) 24562695 anthony.green@svitzer.com www.svitzer.com

126 127

SErvICE dIrECTOry

3

Tristar Transport Company LLCP.O.Box, 93, P.C,117Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24590133 (+968)99236815

(+968)24830324 www.tristar-transport.com

SPT Middle East Company LLCP.O.Box, 5405, Fujairah,United Arab Emirates

(+971)92282161 (+971)505648239

(+971)92282151 Paul.Algate@sptmts.com/ops.uk@sptmts.com/www.sptmta.com

Fendercare Marine limitedFisher House, P.O. Box 4, Barrow-in-Furness,Cumbria, LA14 1HR.

(+0044)1508482666M 7917525275

(0044)1508482710 www.fendercaremarine.com sts@fendercare.com

Emergency Numbers Phone

I. SIP Area Emergency Number (ROP) 9991II. AmbulanceLiwa HospitalP.O.Box 101, PC 325,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26762055 (+968) 26762285 -

Shinas HospitalP.O.Box 6, PC 324,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26747514 (+968) 26747387 -

Sohar HospitalP.O.Box 49, PC 311,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26844423 (+968) 26840399 -

III. FireCivil Defence SIP AreaSohar Civil DefenseP.O.Box 2, PC 311,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26840077 (+968) 26842502 -

Civil Defence SIP Area (+968) 26750320 9991

(+968) 26750321

Saham Civil DefenseP.O.Box 256, PC 112,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26854144 (+968) 26854190 -

IV. PoliceShinas Coast GuardP.O.Box 2, PC 311,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26747699 (+968) 26747141 -

Sohar OperationP.O.Box 2, PC 300, WidashSultanate of Oman

(+968) 26859499 (+968) 26842501 -

Government Ministries Phone Fax Email / Website

Ministry of EducationP.O.Box 3, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24773000 (+968)23571190 www.moe.gov.om

Ministry of HealthP.O.Box 393, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24602177 - www.moh.gov.om

Ministry of Higher EducationP.O.Box 82, PC 112,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24755999 - www.mohe.gov.om

Ministry of HousingP.O.Box 173, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24693333 (+968)24699185 www.housing.gov.om

Public Authority for Electricity and WaterP.O.Box 1889, PC 130,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24611101 (+968)24611100

(+968)24611133 www.paew.gov.om

4

service directory

Ministry of InformationP.O.Box 600, PC 113 Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24603222 - www.omanet.om

Ministry of ManpowerP.O.Box 413, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24839000 - www.manpower.gov.om

Ministry of National EconomyP.O.Box 881, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24698900 - www.moneoman.gov.om

Oman Chamber of commerce and IndustryP.O.Box, 1400,P.C,112, Ruwi,Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24707674 (+968)24708496 www.chamberoman.com occi@chamberoman.com

Ministry of Commerce and IndustryP.O.Box, 550, P.C.113, MuscatSultanate of Oman

(+968)24813500 (+968)24828102

(+968)24816101 www.mocioman.gov.om malkhusabi@business.gov.om

Ministry of Transport and CommunicationP.O.Box 684, PC 113,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24685000 - www.motc.gov.om

Shipping Agents Phone Fax Email / Website

Al-Fayha Shipping Agencies LLCP.O.Box 68, PC : 327, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24814144 (+968) 26752017

(+968) 24814704 (+968) 26752018

alfayha@omantel.net.om www.alfayhashipping.com

Arabian Shipping & Trading LLCP.O. Box : 600, PC : 116, Mina Al Fahal,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24799006 (+968) 24799008 astallc@omantel.net.om

Arabian Martime & Navigation Aids LLCP.O.Box:8, P.C:111-CPO Seeb

(+968)99316625 (+968)24510283

(+968)24521239 navcert@amnas-oman.com proc@amnas-oman.com

Associated Shipping Services LLCP.O.Box 2846, PC 112, Ruwi,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24811825 (+968) 24815820 jathapk@omantel.net.om ascshpng@omantel.net.om

Badar Shipping Agencies LLCP.O.Box 662, PC 117, Wadi Kabir,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24798186 (+968) 24798566 bsaoman@omantel.net.om www.badar-shipping.com

Bhacker Haji Abdullatiff Fazul LLCP.O.Box 1068, PC 112, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24714221 (+968) 26752500

(+968) 24711114 (+968) 26752505

ops@bhacker.comsohar@bhacker.com

Blue Eagle Shipping & Insurance Agencies LLCP.O.Box : 19, PC : 311, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26840309 (+968) 26843206 rm.vijayakumar@kr.om

Blue Wave Shipping Agency LtdP.O.Box 37, PC 327, Sohar Industrial Estate,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26752552 (+968) 26752662 operations@bluewaveship.com www.bluewaveship.com

Clarion Shipping Services LLCP.O.Box : 393, PC : 322, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24781106 (+968) 24781105 clarion@omantel.net.om www.clarionshipping.com

CEVA Logistics LLCP.O.Box 77, PC 111, CPO, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24495417 (+968) 24495380 sales.muscat@ceva.com

DHL Global Forwarding LLCP.O.Box: 730, P.C:133 Al-Khuwair, Muscat,Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24470300 (+968)24480830 Reshna.Sajith@dhl.com www.dh.com

Eagle Global Logistics LLCP.O.Box: 77, P.C:111 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

(+968)24495417 (+968)24495380 sales.muscat@eaglegl.com

Gulf Agency Company LLCP.O.Box 81, PC : 327, Sohar Industrial Estate,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 24477800 (+968) 26751104

(+968) 24477891 (+968) 26751876

sohar@gacworld.comwww.gacworld.com

128 129

SErvICE dIrECTOry

7

Green Oasis HotelP.O.Box 24, PC 311, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26846077 (+968) 26846441 alwahah@omantel.net.om www.geocities.com

Sohar Beach HotelP.O.Box 122, PC 321, Al-Tareef, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 2684 1111 (+968) 2684 3766 soharhtl@omantel.net.om www.soharbeach.com

Crowne Plaza Hotel - SoharP.O.Box 478, PC 322, Falaj Al-Qabail,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26850716 (+968) 26850800 cpsohar@cpsohar.comwww.cpsohar.com

Shopping Centres Phone Fax Email / Website

Safeer Centre (Sohar)P.O.Box 871, PC 130, Al-Athaibah, Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26845164 (+968) 24583434

(+968) 26845142 (+968) 24583450

safiromn@omantel.net.om www.safeergroup.com

Safeer Mall (Sohar)P.O.Box 871, PC 130, Sohar,Sultanate of Oman

(+968) 26858931 (+968) 26858932 safiromn@omantel.net.om www.safeergroupoman.com

بنك مسقط ش م ع ع ص.ب: 134 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26841785)+968( 24768888

)+968( 26841786 )+968( 24785572www.bankmuscat.com

بنك الخليج الدولي17522495info@gibbah.com )973+(17522649 )973+(ص.ب: 1017، المنامة، مملكة البحرين

بنك اتش اس بي سي الشرق األوسط ش م م ص.ب: 240 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26846146 )+968( 24799920

)+968( 26847330 )+968( 24736043www.oman.hsbc.com

البنك الوطني العماني ش م ع ع ص.ب: 751 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24778000)+968( 24707781 ask@nbo.co.om

بنك عمان العربي ش م ع مص.ب: 2010 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24706265)+968( 24797736 oablink@omantel.net.om

بنك عمان الدولي ش م ع عص.ب: 1727 ، الرمز البريدي 111، السيب ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26840231)+968( 24682500

)+968( 26840323)+968( 24481736www.oiboman.com

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالفنادق

منتجع ميليتيوم ص.ب: 82 ، الرمز البريدي 300، المصنعة،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26871555)+968( 26871695 peter.ezzat@millenniumhotels.com

www.millenniumhotels.com

فندق الواديص.ب: 459 ، الرمز البريدي 311 ، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26840058 )+968( 26841997 gmalwadi@omanhotels.com

www.omanhotels.com

فندق الواحة الخضراءص.ب: 24 ، الرمز البريدي 311 ، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26846077 )+968( 26846441 alwahah@omantel.net.om

www.geocities.com

فندق شاطئ صحارص.ب: 122 ، الرمز البريدي 321، الطريف ، صحار،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26842111)+968( 26843766 soharhtl@omantel.net.om

www.soharbeach.com

فندق كراون بالزا- صحارص.ب: 478 ، الرمز البريدي 322، فلج القبائل ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26850850)+968( 26850800 cpsohar@cpsohar.com

www.cpsohar.com

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالمراكز التجارية

مركز سفير )صحار(ص.ب: 871 ، الرمز البريدي 130، العذيبة ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26845164)+968( 24583434

)+968( 26845142)+968( 24583450

safiromn@omantel.net.omwww.safeergroup.com

سفير مول )صحار( ص.ب:871 ، الرمز البريدي 130 ،صحار ،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26858931)+968( 26858932 safiromn@omantel.net.om

www.safeerproperties.com

sssssss

130 131

SErvICE dIrECTOry sssssss

خدمات البحار للشحن والتجارة ش م م ص.ب: 1147، الرمز البريدي: 114، مسقط،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 99428932)+968( 24781885)+968( 24781884ops@seatradeoman.com

دي إتش العالمية للشحن ش م م ص.ب: 730، الرمز البريدي: 133، الخوير،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24470300)+968( 24480830Reshna.Sajith@dhl.com

www.dh.com

سي تريد للخدمات الشحن ص.ب. 1147، المز البريدي: 114 مسقط،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26751227)+968( 26751477ops@seatradeoman.com

سي ما ستر للمالحة ش م م ص. ب: 749، الرمز البريدي: 322 فلج القبائل،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 246753119)+968( 26753120agency.sohar@seamastermaritime.com

سيفيتزر صحار ش م مص.ب: 82، الرمز البريدي: 114، مطرح،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 92961001)+968( 24562695

)+968( 24495288)+968( 24562695sohar.pilots@savitzerwijsmuller.com

ترانزورد للشحن والخدمات اللوجستية والتجارةص.ب: 749، الرمز البريدي: 144

سلطنة عمان)+968( 2479223724787793 )968 +(ops1.twmct@transworld.co

شركة تاول وبارويل ش م مص.ب: 471 ، الرمز البريدي 321، الطريف ، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26845093)+968( 24819100

)+968( 26842353)+968( 24794367

wss.sohar@wilhelmsen.com www.barwilunitor.com

نجم الشمال للخدمات المالحية ش م م ص.ب:442، الرمز البريدي: 321، صحار،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 95344592)+968( 95444554)+968( 26822426ops.sohar@northstar-shipping.com

شركة يوسف بن أحمد كانو وشركاؤه ش م م ص.ب: 310 ، الرمز البريدي 114، جبروه،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 4/24712253)+968( 26750463

)968+( 24712065)+968( 26714065

kanoo@omantel.net.omkanoosoh@omantel.net.om

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالجامعات والكليات

كلية عمان البحرية الدوليةص.ب:532 ، الرمز البريدي 322،فلج القبائل، صحار،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26827711)+968( 26827722info@imcoman.net

www.imcoman.net

كلية العلوم التطبيقية بصحارص.ب:135 ، الرمز البريدي 311، صحار،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26721120)+968( 26720160dean.soh@cas.edu.om

جامعة صحارص.ب: 44 ، الرمز البريدي 311، صحار،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26720101)+968( 26720102 soharuni@omantel.net.om

www.soharuni.edu.om

الكلية التقنية بشناص ص.ب : 77، الرمز البريدي 324، شناص،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26852800 )+968( 26747426 www.ctshinas.edu.om

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالبنوك التجارية

بنك ظفار ش م ع عص.ب: 1507 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24790466 )+968( 24704016 info@bankdhofar.com

sssssss

إل بي إتش الزواوي للشحن والتموين ش م مص.ب: 556 ، الرمز البريدي 322 ، فلج القبائل،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24647800)+968( 26753167info@1bhoman.com

كيمجي رامداس )مجموعة المشاريع والمواد اللوجستية( ش م م ص.ب: 19 ، الرمز البريدي 113، مسقط،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24786123 )+968( 268443206

)+968( 24796545)+968( 26843206

krshipso@omantel.net.omwww.khimji.com

24781755ops@merchantoman.com )968+(24702550 )968+(ميرشانت للخدمات المالحية

ميرسك للخدمات المالحية وشركاه ش م مص.ب: 344 ، الرمز البريدي 322، فلج القبائل ، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24788500)+968( 26751139

)+968( 24781704)+968( 26751914

omnlinmng@maersk.com www.maerskline.com

شركة عمان للقاطرات البحريه ش م مص.ب:8، المز البريدي: 114، مطرح،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24607293)+968( 24602639Oman Terminal Towage co

شركة شمس الظهيرة للشحن والتجارة ش م م ص.ب: 57 ، الرمز البريدي 327، منطقة صحار الصناعية ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26750319)+968( 24792237

)+968( 26750340)+968( 24787793

mership@omantel.net.omapr@mership.com

بنتاجون لخدمات الشحن عمان ش م م ص.ب:386، الرمز البريدي: 130، مسقط،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24596624)+968( 24596606)+968( 24596614pravin@pfsoman.com

شركة الشرق األوسط للشحن والنقل ش م م ص.ب: 169 ، الرمز البريدي 100، روي ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24790024)+968( 24786429

mestgmst@omantel.net.omwww.suhailbahwangroup.com/

ship.htm

شركة إيجل جلوب لوجيستكس ش م م 24495380sales.muscat@eaglegl.com )968+(24495417 )968+(ص.ب:77، 111، مسقط، سلطنة عمان

وكالة مطرح للتجارة والمالحة ش م م ص.ب: 1984 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24477900)+968( 24477891 mutrashp@omantel.net.om

www.mutrahshipping.com

وكالت صحار للمالحة والنقل والتجارة ش م م ص.ب:284، الرمز البريدي: 114

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 99320065)+968( 95230499)+968( 24714478soharmct@soharshiping.com

شركة صاللة للخدمات المالحية والبحرية ش م م ص.ب: 82 ، الرمز البريدي 211، صاللة، سلطنة عمان

)+968( 23299223)+968( 24711788

)+968( 23298299 )+968( 24712904

salship@omantel.net.omwww.salalahshipping.com

شرف للخدمات المالحية وشركاه ش م مص.ب: 1179 ، الرمز البريدي 114، جبروه،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24781744)+968( 26751277

)+968( 24783888)+968( 26751477

sharafsh@omantel.net.omwww.sharafshipping.com

الترابط السريع ش م مص.ب: 2843 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24837713)+968( 24832001 swift@omantel.net.om

www.swiftoman.com

حقول النفط لخدمات التخزين ش م م ص.ب: 278، الرمز البريدي: 322، فلج القبائل،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 98805917 director@ows.net.in

www.ows.net.in

خدمات الشحن العالمي ش م مص.ب: 1093، الرمز البريدي: 114، مطرح،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 99331205)+968( 968702959Sandeep.k@khmjiramdas.com

132 133

SErvICE dIrECTOry وزارة التجارة والصناعة

ص.ب: 550 الرمز البريدي: 113، مسقط، سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24813500)+968( 24828102)+968( 24816101 malkhusabi@business.gov.om

www.mocioman.gov.om

غرفة تجارة وصناعة عمان ص.ب: 1400، الرمز البريدي: 122، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24707674)+968( 24708496www.chamberoman.com

وزارة النقل واإلتصاالت ص.ب: 684 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24685000-www.motc.gov.om

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفوكالء الخدمات المالحية

وكاالت الفيحاء للمالحة ش م م ص.ب: 395 ، الرمز البريدي 114، جبروه،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24814144)+968( 26752017

)+968( 24814704)+968( 26752018

alfayha@omantel.net.omwww.alfayhashipping.com

العربية للنقل البحرى و التمثيل التجلرى ش م م ص.ب: 600 ، الرمز البريدي 116، ميناء الفحل ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24799006)+968( 24799008 astallc@omantel.net.om

العربية للخدمات البحريه والمساعدات المالحية ش م م ص.ب: 8، الرمز البريدي: 111، السيب،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 99316625)+968( 24510283)+968( 24521239 navcert@amnas-oman.com

proc@amnas-oman.com

التضامن للخدمات المالحية ش م م ص.ب: 2846 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24811825)+968( 24815820 jathapk@omantel.net.om

ascshpng@omantel.net.om

وكاالت بدر للمالحة ش م م ص.ب: 662 ، الرمز البريدي 117، الوادي الكبير،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24798186)+968( 24798566 bsaoman@omantel.net.om

www.badar-shipping.com

شركة باقر الحاج عبداللطيف فاضل ش م م ص.ب: 1068 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24714221)+968( 26752500

)+968( 24711114)+968( 26752505

ops@bhacker.comsohar@bhacker.com

وكالة النسر االزرق للشحن والتأمين ص.ب: 19 ، الرمز البريدي 311، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26752552)+968( 26752662rm.vijayakumar@kr.om

وكالة الموج األزرق المالحية المحدودةص.ب: 37 ، الرمز البريدي 327، منطقة صحار الصناعية ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 26752552)+968( 26750053

)+968( 26752662)+968( 26750802

operations@bluewaveship.comwww.bluewaveship.com

البوق لخدمات الشحن ش م م ص.ب: 393 ، الرمز البريدي 322، صحار ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24781106)+968( 24781105 clarion@omantel.net.om

www.clarionshipping.com

شركة سي إي في ايه لوجيستكس ش م م ص.ب: 77 ، الرمز البريدي 111، مسقط،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24495417)+968( 24495380 sales.muscat@ceval.com

شركة وكاالت الخليج ش م مص.ب: 81 ، الرمز البريدي 327، منطقة صحار الصناعية ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24477800)+968( 26751104

)+968( 24477891)+968( 26751876

sohar@gacworld.comwww.gacworld.com

انشكيب شيبنج سيرفس وشركاه ش م مص.ب: 36 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24701291)+968( 26750377

)+968( 24791642)+968( 26797994

marine.oman@iss-shipping.comwww.iss-shipping.com

sssssss

مستشفى شناص ص.ب: 6 ، الرمز البريدي 324،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26747514)+968( 26747387-

مستشفى صحار ص.ب: 49 ، الرمز البريدي 311،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26844423)+968( 26840399-

ج. اإلطفاء

-د. الدفاع المدني بميناء صحار الصناعي

الدفاع المدني صحار ص.ب: 2 ، الرمز البريدي 311،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 268400779991)+968( 26842502-

الدفاع المدني صحمص.ب: 256 ، الرمز البريدي 112،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26854144)+968( 26854190-

هـ. شرطة الباطنة

خفر السواحل شناصص.ب: 2 ، الرمز البريدي 311،

سلطنة عمان )+968( 26747699)+968( 26747141-

عمليات شرطة الباطنةص.ب: 2 ، الرمز البريدي 300،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 26859499)+968( 26842501-

البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالوزارات الحكومية

وزارة التربية والتعليم ص.ب: 3 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24773000)+968( 23571190www.moe.gov.om

وزارة الصحةص.ب: 393 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24602177-www.moh.gov.om

وزارة التعليم العالي ص.ب: 82 ، الرمز البريدي 112،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24755999-www.mohe.gov.om

وزارة اإلسكانص.ب: 173 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24693333)+968( 24699185www.housing.gov.om

الهيئة العامة للكهرباء والمياه ص.ب: 1889 ، الرمز البريدي 130،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24611101)+968( 24611100)+968( 24611133www.paew.gov.om

وزارة اإلعالم ص.ب: 600 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24603222-www.omanet.om

وزارة القوى العاملةص.ب: 413 ، الرمز البريدي 113،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24839000-www.manpower.gov.om

sssssss

134 135

SErvICE dIrECTOryالشركة العمانية لنقل الكهرباء ش م ع م

ص.ب: 1224 ، الرمز البريدي 131، الحمرية ، سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24573221)+968( 24573200 )+968( 24573242www.omangrid.com

شركة الغاز العمانية ش م ع م ص.ب: 799 ، الرمز البريدي 133، مسقط،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24681616)+968( 99261138)+968( 24681632 info@-gas.com.om

www.oman-gas.com.om

الشركة العمانية لالتصاالت المتنقلة ش م م ص.ب: 694 ، الرمز البريدي 130، العذيبة،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24474000)+968( 24474808www.omanmobile.om

الشركة العمانية لالتصاالت )عمانتل( ش م ع م ص.ب: 789 ، الرمز البريدي 112، روي،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24242424)+968( 24484094www.omantel.net.om

المؤسسة العامة للمناطق الصناعيةص.ب: 2 ، الرمز البريدي 124، الرسيل،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24446080)+968( 24155100)+968( 24449095 info@peie.com

www.peie.com

الشركة العمانية لتسويق النفط ش م ع عص.ب: 92، الرمز البريدي: 116، ميناء الفحل ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24574100)+968( 26847345

)+968( 24561628)+968( 26847664www.oomco.com

شركة شل العمانية للتسويق ش م ع ع ص.ب: 38، الرمز البريدي: 116، ميناء الفحل،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24570301)+968( 24570359 Said.alrawahi@shell.com

www.shelloman.com

شركة الباطنة للطاقة ش م ع عص.ب: 139، الرمز البريدي: 103، بريق الشاطئ،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24391979)+968( 24393300

سفيتزر صحار ش م م ص.ب: 1671 ، الرمز البريدي 130، العذيبة ،

سلطنة عمان)+968( 24562695)+968( 24562695 anthony.green@svitzer.com

www.svitzer.com

شركة ترايستار للنقل ش م مص.ب: 93 ، الرمز البريدي 117،

سلطنة عمان

)+968( 24590133)+968( 99236815)+968( 24830324www.tristar-transport.com

شركة آس بي تي الشرق األوسط ش م م ص.ب: 5405، الشارقة،

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SErvICE dIrECTOryمجموعة ميناء صحار الصناعي

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البريد االلكتروني / الموقعالفاكسالهاتفالمؤسسات الصناعية

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