His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik visited the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) , where he reviewed its leading economic, investment and development projects.

His Majesty also learned about the expansion of investment in recent years and efforts to transform Duqm into an integrated economic zone.

The visit took place as it was announced that total investment in SEZAD is approaching OMR 9 billion.

His Majesty received a briefing on the zone and the Port of Duqm, recent achievements and future plans to provide an attractive investment environment and attract further domestic and foreign investment.

His Majesty directed those responsible to continue capitalising on the zone’s strengths. This will consolidate its position as a promising economic and logistics hub and maximise the benefits of its strategic location.

Upon His Majesty’s arrival at the Port of Duqm, he was received by Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Chairman of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones, along with officials from the port and companies operating in the zone.

By the end of June, the cumulative committed investment in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm had risen to OMR 8.818 billion. This represented growth of 141% compared with OMR 3.65 billion in 2021.

Qais Al Yousef, said this increase reflected improvements in the investment environment at the Special Economic Zone at Duqm during the past five years. It also reflected the development of the zone’s infrastructure, efforts to attract investment and the incentives and facilities offered to investors.

In a statment to Oman News Agency (ONA), he said that the Port of Duqm recorded growth in the handling volume of containers, roll-on/roll-off cargo, oil and gas field pipelines, and various goods required by the projects being implemented in the zone.

The Chairman Al Yousef said that between 2021 and 2025 there had been a 5.66 percent increase in total cargo handling at the Port of Duqm. Furthermore, with dry bulk cargo handling up by 3.88 percent, and roll-on/roll-off cargo handling up by 8.2 percent .

He added that the Duqm Refinery increased its production capacity to 255,000 barrels per day, and the Dry Dock completed approximately 1,340 projects from 2020 until the end of last year.

The Chairman of OPAZ affirmed that the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones is working to localize several other projects in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, aligning with the Sultanate of Oman’s plans for net-zero carbon emissions and the ongoing efforts to develop the green hydrogen sector.

He noted that the Special Economic Zone at Duqm was also seeking to attract further projects in the tourism, commercial and logistics sectors. The zone is also working to create conditions that support the long-term settlement of its workforce by attracting education and healthcare projects.