Oman Shipping Company S.A.O.C. (OSC), incorporated in 2003, has the mandate to provide maritime transport to Omani exim trade and enhance Omani maritime traditions to make it distinct from others in the region. OSC covers areas like vessel operations, maintenance, crew management, vessel inspections, bunker operations, etc. The company is also involved in ship owning, chartering and technical management activities through its subsidiary companies: Oman Charter Company S.A.O.C., Oman Ship Management Company S.A.O.C. and Oman Container Line S.A.O.C. The shipping major continues to look for areas for growth that directly benefit Oman and enhance its economy.
OSC is owned by the Government of Oman with the Ministry of Finance and Oman Oil Company S.A.O.C. holding 80 per cent and 20 per cent stakes, respectively. For the company, operational excellence is paramount and the key capabilities for this include, among others, high safety standards, practicability and reliability and also innovations in environmental management which in future will increasingly become a major area of concern for the world shipping. One of the key priorities for OSC is Omani youth and it is making concerted efforts to develop young Omanis to be future seafarers. No wonder, OSC stands on a different platform vis-à-vis other shipping companies.
OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Oman Shipping Company currently has a total fleet of 43 vessels of approximately 8 million DWT, operating in the territorial waters of the Sultanate and international waters. The company is working on expanding its fleet to 60 vessels by 2016 with an addition 10 MR Tankers which will be delivered during 2015 and 2016 as well as some other chartered in vessels that are expected to join as per OSC’s business needs. Oman Ship Management Company is currently managing 27 vessels including full technical management of owned and third party vessels as well, comprising of 10 VLCCs, 6 LNG vessels, 4 VLOCs, 3 LPG vessels, 2 Methanol Carriers, 1 Chemical Tanker and 1 MR Tanker and 1 Multi-Purpose Vessel. Moving forward, OSC has plans to bring more of its vessels under OSMC’s technical management.
Oman Shipping Company has contributed to the development and promotions of ports and free zones sectors in the Sultanate thereby strengthening the strategic partnerships with business partners in general and in particular the local and thus contributing directly to the enhancement of In-Country Value (ICV). The company’s activities in Sohar Industrial Port include offering intelligent transport solutions to companies such as ORPIC, Vale Oman and Sohar Aluminum.
In the Port of Salalah, the company is the transportation partner for Salalah Methanol’s cargo to global markets. The company aims to start providing its advanced shipping solutions from the Port of Duqm in the near term. Furthermore, OSC is running a containers feeder services between Sohar Industrial Port and the Jebel Ali Port. It is planning to expand the feeder service to Port of Duqm down to Port of Salalah through the strategic partnerships with global shipping companies such as Maersk, MSC, BTL and RCL.
In September 2011, OSMC was awarded ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditations, recognizing its adoption of international standards and best practices in ship management. In addition, Oman Ship Management Company was awarded “The Ship Manager Award” among the three finalists by the esteemed judging panel at the 10th Sea Trade Middle East and Indian Subcontinent Annual Awards function for 2013. In 2014, Oman Charter Company has been certified with ISO 9001:2008 for Quality Management System which is a key achievement and shows the importance of quality to Oman Shipping Company and all its subsidiaries.
Since its incorporation, the company has made an effective contribution to the development of transport and maritime industry in the Sultanate, which in turn has supported the growth of other industrial sectors. Oman Shipping Company also has a major role in linking the ports of the Sultanate to each other, which has resulted in significant development of the logistics infrastructure of the Sultanate.
Furthermore, one of the company’s goals, is to have a pivotal role in revitalizing the maritime heritage of the Sultanate through the development of young Omanis through a scholarship programme for 30 students annually, sending them to study Maritimes studies at the International Maritime College Oman – Sohar (IMCO), South Tyneside College – United Kingdom and the Australian Maritime College -Australia.
Following that, the students would be offered job opportunities onboard the company’s vessels after finishing their scholarship programme successfully. Since its inception, the programme has offered more than 183 scholarships to Omani high school graduates. This number is ever reflecting the increasing interest among the Omani students to work on the sea.
In addition, the company played a major role in promotion of the maritime industry in the Sultanate by providing training opportunities on board the company’s vessels for Omani students including non-sponsored students. Oman Shipping Company hopes to contribute to the formation of a talented group of Omani navigators and engineers who are prepared to enter the field of maritime transport industry, especially by making a career with the Oman Shipping Company.