For the first nine months of this year, the port handled 407,000 TEUs, five per cent more than the gross handling activity at Port Sultan Qaboos and Sohar Port combined during the corresponding period last year.

Liquid material handling activity crossed 34mn tonnes during the January to September period this year; up 22 per cent from a year earlier.

General cargo handling grew by 60 per cent for the period under review to hit 2.3mn tonnes due to the transfer of handling from other regional ports. The number of vehicles handled by the port jumped 181 per cent. The port currently handles 200,000 vehicles a year.

The growth in handling activity comes at a time the sultanate is seeking to develop its logistics sector and is encouraging investment in related sectors.

Andre Toet, CEO of Sohar Port, said the growth in container handling reflects the port’s importance in import and export operations for the local market. It also comes at a time when we continue our active participation in supporting efforts to build a sustainable logistics infrastructure in the sultanate.

In a statement to ONA, Toet said the port added new direct shipping liners to its list in the last few months. It launched Hanjin and Evergreen lines that connect the port directly to the Far East. Sohar Port was recently selected as one of the major ports in the world that are qualified for the Standard Marine Awards and for the ‘Best Dry Port’ award at International Bulk Journal Awards 2015 in Antwerp, Belgium.