Duqm – The Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) on Wednesday celebrated the inauguration of the Marine Fishing Port, the Freight Services and Customs Terminal, and the main roads No 1 and 5 at the Duqm Port.

The opening ceremony was sponsored by H E Lieutenant-General Hassan bin Mohsen al Sharqi, Inspector General of Police and Customs, in the presence of a number of public and private sectors officials.

During the opening ceremony, 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 the 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 RO177mn.

The largest commercial fishing port in Oman, the Sea Fishing Port in Duqm, spans 7.5sqkm and was built to accommodate the largest international commercial fishing vessels, with a depth of 10 meters, according to Akaak. The fishing port is made up of two 3.3km long breakwaters and 1.3km of permanently installed ship docks. Six floating berths and a dedicated quay for Coast Guard police boats have been made available to the port.

The customs station project, he noted, is part of the third package of projects at the Port of Duqm, which includes a number of buildings within the Port of Duqm. The main road No 1 is approximately 3.93km long and is a dual road with two lanes in each direction. Similarly, the main road No 5 is around 3.3km long and is also a dual road.

“SEZAD represents a model of economic integration 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,” Akaak said.

Fishery factories, fish sales outlets, artisanal and commercial fishing vessel servicing areas, and a fisherman’s training center 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 7.8sqkm and 7.5sqkm, respectively. Both are important regional economic drivers that will help draw both domestic and foreign companies with a focus on fishing and related industries.

On the other hand, the Freight and Customs Services Terminal consists of one-stop-shop building, a building for truck registration, a building for transit permits, inspection buildings designated for the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources, as well as a medical clinic affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

In addition, the terminal has customs gates for the movement of vehicles into and out of the port, management of the import and export procedures, and utility facilities such as power plants, sewage stations, and firefighting water tanks.