Salalah Port, in Oman’s southern Dhofar region, will begin mobilising soon for constructing facilities in its $270-million expansion that will see the addition of two new container berths, a new 2.5-km breakwater and a significant superstructure for the berths.

After the expansion is completed by early 2007, the port’s capacity will increase by 30 per cent to 3.4 million teu per year, a port spokesman said. “In line with the port’s strategy of building for the future, the new berths and the equipment will be capable of handling future-generation vessels to ensure it continues to be one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated container terminals,” he added.
Salalah Port handled 2.2 million teu in 2004 against 2 million in the previous year. Projections are it will handle 2.4 million teu in 2005.  In terms of weight, the port loaded and unloaded 1.53 million tonnes in 2004 against 1.34 million tonnes in the previous year and expects to handle1.69 million tonnes this year.
Revenues in 2004 were RO24.61 million compared with RO22.14 million in the previous year.
The port currently has four berths with a total of 1,236 m of quay wall. The harbour depth is 16 m and the approach channel is 16.5 m with a 500 m turning circle. The facilities include a container repair station, a bunker point, a container freight station, a car carrier terminal, a cruise terminal and a ship repair facility without a dry dock. Also provided are warehousing, marina tug services and navigational facilities.
The equipment includes 12 post- and super-post-Panamax gantry cranes, 26 rubber-tyred gantry cranes, three 4,850 HP tugs, 10 reach stackers and top loaders, 80 yard tractors, 95 yard chassis, a Navis-based terminal operating system and vessel-tracking systems.
Lines calling at Salalah include Maersk Sealand, Safmarine, APL, CMA-GGM, ICFS, CSCL (temporarily suspended), BTL, Norasia and Samudera.
“Our container cargo is predominantly transshipment cargo. Until the next expansion phase has been built, Salalah Port Services will be unable to accommodate further container shipping lines as the terminal is fully utilised,” said the spokesman.
“Volumes and support of our current customer base ensure a fully utilised terminal for years to come, aided by a bullish container market in the region,” he added.
Although Salalah Port is primarily thought of as a transshipment hub it has given priority to the promotion of import/export cargo and the development of the general cargo terminal. The developments include upgrading and replacement of existing equipment; new cranes (mobile harbour cranes); additional paved storage areas; speculative warehouse units; bulk handling. Apart from areas reserved for liquid, bulk, vehicle handling as well as distribution and storage, the port has undertaken studies for conveyors, silos and other industrial facilities that will be developed when the industrial volumes require them.
Salalah Port is expected to play an important role in the development of the nearby free trade zone. A Salalah Free Trade Zone Company was recently established.
Several factors have been cited to explain the port’s success. Its strategic location in the deep-sea shipping lanes of the Middle East, East African, Indian, Far Eastern, European and Australian regions; state-of-the-art equipment and systems, and the experience, support and market strength of AP Moller, which is the main shareholder (30 per cent) in Salalah Port Services Company.  Other shareholders are: the Omani Government 20 per cent; Omani companies 15 per cent, Pension Funds 25 per cent and public subscribers 10 per cent.