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Port of Salalah to build dedicated cruise terminal

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Port of Salalah, Oman

With the number of cruise liners visiting Oman rising, ports in the country are developing infrastructure and services to cater to the increasing demand.

The Port of Salalah is in advanced stage of talks with the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) to build a dedicated cruise terminal. MoTC is conducting a detailed study to develop Khasab Port, and studies are on to transform Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ) into a tourism port.

Peter Ford, CEO, Port of Salalah, said that the company was very excited about the opportunities and developments coming to Salalah, “particularly a new breakwater project with a dedicated cruise terminal berth, which we have furthered with MoTC. We expect to see the tendering part of it started soon.”

He added that the terminal will become a community centre with beautiful recreation areas and opportunities for small to medium businesses to develop, serving both local and international tourism markets. “Combined with increasing integration with the freezone, the dedicated cruise terminal berth will be another important part of Salalah’s future.”

Ahmed Akaak, deputy CEO, Port of Salalah, said that the new infrastructure will enable the port to enhance the cruise and ferry vessel experience and will be more than just another phase in Port of Salalah’s development. “It will make tourism much more accessible and community-centric, allowing for the welcoming spot for local tourism that Salalah needs today. We expect an average of approximately 30 cruise ships and over 25,000 tourists to come through the port this year.”

The port saw a slight increase in port calls in 2012. The number of cruise vessels that visited the port in 2012 was 33, while 29 cruise vessels visited in 2011. The number of passengers handled in 2012 was 28,159 and 23,202 in 2011. Till March 2013, the port received another 11 calls and handled 8,844 passengers.

The development of Khasab Port gained pace when Port Services Corporation (PSC), which manages PSQ, signed a contract with MoTC beginning this year to operate and manage Khasab Port.

PSC is now looking into establishing services and facilities and also make large-scale improvements like new terminals after a detailed feasibility study.

The ongoing consultancy studies for converting PSQ into a tourist port includes a range of services for the port including tourist hotels, marine sport and water museum.

In 2012, PSQ saw an increase of eight per cent in the number of passengers handled from the figure for 2011. The port received 111 cruise calls and served 183,449 passengers in 2012. From January to March this year, the port received 64 cruise vessels.

With the last of the ships scheduled to arrive in Muscat on April 29, the cruise season will come to end.

MC Jose, CEO, Projects & Logistics, Khimji Ramdas, the biggest shipping agent in the country, said, “OCEAN PRINCESS, with close to 700 passengers, will be arriving on April 29, bringing an end to a successful 2012-13 season, during which we managed 125 port calls across the sultanate and handled more than 200,000 passengers.”

Muscat Daily

 


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