Muscat – The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology has reported a substantial increase in its maritime affairs services in the first half of 2023.

The ministry released 406 services tied to maritime activities, marking an 81% growth compared to the same period in the previous year.

The ministry’s report indicated that the number of newly issued registration certificates for marine units reached 217, while existing certificates numbered 622.

In the first six months of 2023, the ministry granted 165 navigation permits to foreign vessels operating within Oman’s territorial waters, a slight decrease compared to the 167 permits issued during the same period last year.

In addition, the ministry issued 357 certificates to seafarers and 9 security compliance certificates for port facilities. Nine diplomatic vessels also received permits to enter Oman’s territorial waters.

Furthermore, the ministry issued 108 miscellaneous permits, including 63 for Sultan Qaboos Port and 45 for Port of Salalah.

As part of its commitment to maritime safety and compliance, the ministry conducted inspections on 153 foreign vessels in the first half of 2023.

This data has been recorded in the database of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). This figure shows a 13% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. The inspections identified 90 vessels that were in violation of the relevant regulations.

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