Muscat - Port of Duqm Co signed agreements with four companies to operate at the port, which will now be able to offer a wider range of services. The deals were signed between H E Dr Ahmed al Futaisi, Minister of Transport and Communications and chairman of Port of Duqm Co, and officials of the four companies at the Ministry of Transport and Communications office on Tuesday.
Port of Duqm signed an agreement with Raysut Cement Co, which will set up a new cement distribution terminal at the port. The project will take about a year to complete and Raysut Cement said it is looking forward to starting operations in the third quarter of 2014. The second contract was signed with Duqm Ahlia Development Co, a joint stock company which was set up by 600 resident families in Duqm. The company aims to become a leading player in the field of marine, shipping, warehousing, logistics and maritime navigation in Duqm.
The third contract was signed with Masirah Oil Ltd, which is a concession holder of the offshore Block 50. Due to the location of Block 50, Masirah Oil has chosen Duqm as its logistics base and has worked with Port of Duqm to lease the storage and operations area in the port as well as quayside access to operate supply vessels.
Port of Duqm Co signed the fourth agreement with Dubai-based Aerogulf Services Co, which has been selected as the sole helicopter service provider for Masirah Oil's initial offshore exploratory operations off the east coast of Oman, commencing later this year.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, H E Futaisi said the new contracts are a clear sign that the port has started attracting more investors.
He said, "We are concentrating heavily on two main sectors at the port. The first is companies that will provide construction materials at the port so that future building costs are reduced. The second important sector is oil and gas. We believe the proximity of the port to oilfields should play a major role for logistics activities and we should work as a gateway for all the import-export in the sector."
"The Duqm Ahlia Development Co will get special attention and we have provided them a very good location. This company will be a leading logistics and warehousing company in the future," H E Futaisi added.
© Muscat Daily 2013
