RO 177 million worth of projects inaugurated at Duqm SEZ
The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) celebrated the inauguration of the marine fishing port, the Freight Services and Customs Terminal, and the main roads No. 1 and 5 at Duqm Port. The ceremony was held under the auspices of Lt Gen Hasan bin Mohsin al Shraiqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs, in the presence of a number of public and private sectors officials.
In opening remarks, Eng Ahmed bin Ali Akaak, acting CEO of SEZAD, said: “With the completion of the Marine Fishing Port, the Shipping and Customs Services Station, and the main highways at Duqm Port, the primary and fundamental infrastructure system in SEZAD is completed.
He explained that the total cost of the three new projects amounted to about RO 177 million.”
“SEZAD represents a model of economic integration,” Akaak continued, “as it includes several economic and service development zones: a fishing port, a multipurpose port, a dry dock for ship repair and development, multiuse areas for tourism, industry, and logistics, and a modern residential city. All of these are served by a road transport network that connects Duqm to the various zones in Oman.”
Fisheries hub
The Duqm Fisheries Port – the largest commercial fishing port in Oman – covers 7.5 square kilometres and is built to accommodate the largest international commercial fishing vessels.
Dredged to a depth of 10 meters, itt is made up of two 3.3 km long breakwaters and 1.3 km of permanent berths. Six floating berths and a dedicated quay for Coast Guard police boats have been made available at well. Fishery factories, fish sales outlets, artisanal and commercial fishing vessel servicing areas, and a fisherman’s training centre are all housed within SEZAD’S fishing port.
To facilitate fish transport vehicles, a network of paved roads has also been built. Both the fish and food industries complex and the fishing port span 7.8 and 7.5 km2, respectively.