Salalah port, Sasco group sign deal for logistics solution
MUSCAT: Port of Salalah has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sasco International for logistics services to develop a comprehensive logistics solution for enhancing bilateral trade with Yemen via Mazyunah.
Sasco group, one of the leading companies in Yemen, has set up an office in Salalah to offer logistics solutions for the growing trade to and from Yemen via Salalah.
It has also laid the foundation stone for a dry port in the Mazyunah Free Zone, which has attracted strong interest from a diverse group of investors, according to a press release.
The cooperation agreement with Port of Salalah aims at leveraging network connectivity, transit time advantages available at Salalah and the expertise of Sasco to provide a compelling value proposition for Yemeni trade.
The MoU also lays out a framework of cooperation, which was signed by David Gledhill, chief executive officer (CEO) of Salalah Port Services Co. and Mohammed Thabit, CEO of Sasco International for Logistics Services.
“Yemen is a strategic hinterland for the Port of Salalah. We believe that the proximity and excellent connectivity, combined with the dry port in Mazyunah, can provide a very cost effective and efficient logistics chain for trade with Yemen. Such cooperation will facilitate anchoring a wider customer base in Salalah and provide new business opportunities for local businesses. We continue to engage all the stakeholders to ensure a smooth supply chain for the Yemeni customers via Salalah,” said Gledhill.
Port of Salalah is operated by APM Terminals as part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, and APM Terminals holds a 30 per cent share. The Port of Salalah is one of the biggest integrated ports in the region, with a container capacity of 5 million TEU (twentyfoot equivalent unit), a dry bulk capacity of 20 million tonnes and liquid bulk capacity of 6 million tonnes.