30 January 2012
MUSCAT: With over RO1.7 billion spent on the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, Focus Day of the Construction Summit held yesterday, highlighted the major development works that have already been undertaken and discussed the various tasks ahead for completion of this mega project.
Making a presentation on Duqm project at the Focus Day of the Construction Summit (opening today) organised by Global Exhibitions and Conferences (GEC) and International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC), Dr Maurice Girgis, advisor, Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm, said several important developments have already been completed last year.
These include the soft opening and full operation of the Oman Dry Dock Company, setting up of Port of Duqm Company, commissioning of floatel, completion of electricity network, completion of gas pipe route, signing of MOU between Omanoil and UAE's IPIC, Jaaluni airport runway, road network inside port, new additions (banks, petrol stations, govt buildings, markets, lumber yard), completion of two water reservoirs, water distribution network is expected to be ready by April 2012, completion of industrial master plan, flood protection, branding of Duqm Special Economic Zone and awarding of Urban Design Study. Environmental Baseline study will soon start and 50 per cent of Duqm thoroughfares were completed.
Earlier, making a key note address Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah Al Jabri, chairman, Special Economic Zone Auhority at Duqm, said, "Because of Duqm's unique location in comparison with other similar zones in the region, Duqm has necessarily evolved into a broad array of diversified zones, thus making it more than an industrialised zone. Duqm will enhance trade and commercial transactions in goods and services and augment flows of ideas and business opportunities among the zone's different components."
He observed, 'The governmnet has approved the establishment of the Tender Board for Duqm and the next meeing of the Duqm Authority to be held in the next few days will approve the tender committees and the policies and that will help us to move fast.'
Challenging tasks
Yahya said, "The tasks ahead facing the Duqm Authority are challenging, for in addition to building the institution, there are major construction and development projects that the Authority plans to implement during the next years. These include private education and health facilities, vocational and training centres, warehouses and pre-built structures for small and medium size industries, expanded water desalination and power plants, flood protective measures among a host of other amenities," he said.
"Based on current interest shown by local investors, several of these projects will be built by the private sector. This is in line with our overall strategy which revolves on two elements: the government builds the required infrastructure and the private sector operates them. This strategy is exemplified by the dry dock and commercial quay where the government provided the structures and key internationally recognised private firms now operate the two facilities. Daewoo Engineering Company in the case of dry dock and Antwerp Port Group in case of the port," he added.
Speaking of private sector participation in Duqm project, Dr Maurice Girgis said that since Duqm is a Greenfield area the participation of private sector is important. There are three forms of participation: government procurement; private-public partnership (PPP) and private business opportunities. Among the government procurement, the area of investment encompasses construction of port superstructure, quay, port expansion (Basin II), Road network (500-600km), water and power distribution network, sewage network, airport phase 3, expansion of desalination, power plant, water cooling system, fisheries port and other facilities, public parks and buffer zones, rock garden (MOT), landscaping, inter and intra bus and taxi stations, consulting services, project management of government buildings and environmental lab.
Among the private-public partnership, power generation plant petrochemicals, waste management of solid and liquid STP landfill, industrial liquid treatment plant, wind and solar power facilities. The private business opportunities include re-export processing, commercial centres, land development for mixed use, low cost workers' housing hotels and tourist resorts.
MUSCAT: With over RO1.7 billion spent on the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, Focus Day of the Construction Summit held yesterday, highlighted the major development works that have already been undertaken and discussed the various tasks ahead for completion of this mega project.
Making a presentation on Duqm project at the Focus Day of the Construction Summit (opening today) organised by Global Exhibitions and Conferences (GEC) and International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC), Dr Maurice Girgis, advisor, Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm, said several important developments have already been completed last year.
These include the soft opening and full operation of the Oman Dry Dock Company, setting up of Port of Duqm Company, commissioning of floatel, completion of electricity network, completion of gas pipe route, signing of MOU between Omanoil and UAE's IPIC, Jaaluni airport runway, road network inside port, new additions (banks, petrol stations, govt buildings, markets, lumber yard), completion of two water reservoirs, water distribution network is expected to be ready by April 2012, completion of industrial master plan, flood protection, branding of Duqm Special Economic Zone and awarding of Urban Design Study. Environmental Baseline study will soon start and 50 per cent of Duqm thoroughfares were completed.
Earlier, making a key note address Yahya bin Said bin Abdullah Al Jabri, chairman, Special Economic Zone Auhority at Duqm, said, "Because of Duqm's unique location in comparison with other similar zones in the region, Duqm has necessarily evolved into a broad array of diversified zones, thus making it more than an industrialised zone. Duqm will enhance trade and commercial transactions in goods and services and augment flows of ideas and business opportunities among the zone's different components."
He observed, 'The governmnet has approved the establishment of the Tender Board for Duqm and the next meeing of the Duqm Authority to be held in the next few days will approve the tender committees and the policies and that will help us to move fast.'
Challenging tasks
Yahya said, "The tasks ahead facing the Duqm Authority are challenging, for in addition to building the institution, there are major construction and development projects that the Authority plans to implement during the next years. These include private education and health facilities, vocational and training centres, warehouses and pre-built structures for small and medium size industries, expanded water desalination and power plants, flood protective measures among a host of other amenities," he said.
"Based on current interest shown by local investors, several of these projects will be built by the private sector. This is in line with our overall strategy which revolves on two elements: the government builds the required infrastructure and the private sector operates them. This strategy is exemplified by the dry dock and commercial quay where the government provided the structures and key internationally recognised private firms now operate the two facilities. Daewoo Engineering Company in the case of dry dock and Antwerp Port Group in case of the port," he added.
Speaking of private sector participation in Duqm project, Dr Maurice Girgis said that since Duqm is a Greenfield area the participation of private sector is important. There are three forms of participation: government procurement; private-public partnership (PPP) and private business opportunities. Among the government procurement, the area of investment encompasses construction of port superstructure, quay, port expansion (Basin II), Road network (500-600km), water and power distribution network, sewage network, airport phase 3, expansion of desalination, power plant, water cooling system, fisheries port and other facilities, public parks and buffer zones, rock garden (MOT), landscaping, inter and intra bus and taxi stations, consulting services, project management of government buildings and environmental lab.
Among the private-public partnership, power generation plant petrochemicals, waste management of solid and liquid STP landfill, industrial liquid treatment plant, wind and solar power facilities. The private business opportunities include re-export processing, commercial centres, land development for mixed use, low cost workers' housing hotels and tourist resorts.
© Times of Oman 2012
