Muscat: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MTCIT), and Asyad Group have signed an agreement to manage, operate, and develop the Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ) in Muscat.
The agreement, which is important to promote tourism and commercial activities, local economic development, improve logistics connectivity, and attract foreign investment, will include preparing a feasibility study for the development, management, and operation of Port Sultan Qaboos.
The development plan includes three stages and phase one Includes the rehabilitation of the port infrastructure, updating equipment and operating systems (phase 2), and development of an additional dock to receive large cruise ships (phase 3).
Recently, Asyad Ports invited bids for the renovation of the cruise terminal at Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat to meet the needs of an increasing number of tourists from all over the world and enhance their experience at one of the major gateways to the Sultanate of Oman.
'Asyad Ports is seeking a dedicated contractor to carry out renovation works for the cruise terminal and the control tower in Port Sultan Qaboos,' the tender stated.
The last date to receive the tender document was October 17 while the bid can be submitted until October 28.
Asyad Ports has been operating and managing the PSQ since January 1, 2018.
The cruise Terminal building located in PSQ is the first welcoming point for tourists and travelers from around the world, it said.
Following the growing popularity of cruise tourism and the increasing number of visitors, the renovation of the cruise terminal became essential to enhance the overall passenger experience and to support the future growth of the tourism industry.
The cruise ship season in the Sultanate of Oman is generally between October to the end of April, during which cruises visit the Port Sultan Qaboos, Salalah Port, and Khasab Port among others.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has signed an agreement with Resorts World Cruises of Singapore to operate trips and itineraries to the Sultanate of Oman during the upcoming winter season in cooperation with partners in the public and private sectors.
The agreement includes 46 visits to Port Sultan Qaboos and 23 visits to the Khasab Port. The first visit will be to Khasab on November 4 and Muscat on November 5.
The ministry has appointed a consulting company to prepare a plan to attract cruise ships and yachts of various sizes to the Sultanate of Oman.
The cruise ship season in the Sultanate of Oman is generally between October to the end of April, during which cruises visit Port Sultan Qaboos, Salalah Port, and Khasab Port among others.
It may be noted that 321,012 tourists from 202 ship visits arrived at the ports of Muscat, Salalah, and Khasab in 2023, which is expected to cross 380,000 this year. In the first phase of cruise season this year (between January and May), three ports received 102 ships and 206,544 passengers.
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