MUSCAT: The integrated Duqm Fishery Port and industrial complex, ranked among the largest hubs of its kind in the region, is slated for commercial launch early next year.
According to a key project official, the new fishery harbour - combined with an equally ambitious industrial scale processing cluster coming up alongside – has the potential to significantly ramp up the contribution of the fisheries and related food processing sector’s contribution to the national GDP.
Eng Said al Hinai, Director of Duqm Fishery Port, said the integrated hub, covering an area of 7.5 square kilometres, has been designed to attract investments in, among other areas, fish processing, packaging and storage facilities.
He added in an interview featured in the latest edition of Duqm Economist – the newsletter of the Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) – that the fisheries hub is well-positioned to become a fisheries powerhouse in the region. Boding well for this growth is its 10.5-metre deep entrance channel, which enables large industrial fishing vessels to call at the port.
Formally inaugurated in February 2024, Duqm Fishery Port has continued to attract significant fisheries traffic – local and international – since its soft opening a couple of years earlier. In 2023, the port handled 11,230 calls by traditional fishing vessels, in addition to 478 visits by coastal fishing vessels.
Also during 2023, fish landings totaled 52,587 tonnes, while over 3.9 million litres of fuel was supplied as bunker. This is in addition to 3.3 million gallons of potable water and 41,893 tonnes of ice. Going forward, port authorities plan to build on the harbour’s integrated offerings to include ship maintenance and repair facilities, fish auction hall, and training and upskilling centre.
Furthermore, with the goal of attracting international players to the integrated hub, authorities plan to open up opportunities for investment in fish processing facilities, cold storage units, and fish markets, research and innovation, and fish farming, among other areas, said Eng Al Hinai.
Importantly, plans are also afoot to position Duqm Fishery Port as a ‘Green Port’. This is sought to be achieved by mitigating the impact of port activities on the local environment, promoting eco-friendly activities, and embracing modern technologies, he said.
As part of the Green Port initiative, Duqm Fishery Port plans to invest in, among other areas, renewable energy resources, advanced waste management systems, carbon emission reduction technologies, and seawater treatment facilities.
“Through this initiative, Duqm Fishery Port aims to be a leading model in applying environmental sustainability standards, contributing to the protection of marine resources and enhancing long-term environmental health in the Sultanate of Oman,” he added.
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