Salalah Port handles 2.1 million containers during first half of 2021

Muscat: In the first half of this year, 2.1 million containers were loaded and unloaded at the Port of Salalah, which is considered a key economic site for commercial containers. Besides steady growth in operations and logistic services, the Port of Salalah also handled 8.8 million general cargo goods in the first six months of 2021.

Mohammed Oufait Al-Shanfari, Executive Manager of Salalah Port Company, told Oman News Agency (ONA), “Despite challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, the port had achieved positive growth in 2020. It made the largest volume of container handling ever — a record hit of 4.3 million containers, compared to 4.1 million in 2019.”

Al-Shanfari pointed out that Salalah Port achieved global records in the volume of container handling and operational efficiency. The two records were quoted by the World Bank in its Container Ports Performance Index issued by the World Bank’s international transport organisation.

Salalah Port came sixth among 351 ports worldwide. The index measures the operational efficiency shown by a port when receiving container vessels and handling them.

Al-Shanfari added that Salalah Port Company is embarked on developing two products: Flexible Storage (Flex Hub) and the development of simultaneous sea and air transport via Salalah.

Flex Hub has been developed in cooperation with Maersk and support from Asyad and the Royal Oman Police (ROP) Directorate General of Customs. The aim is to cut down cargo handling time by 60 per cent to 80 per cent.

The second product (development of simultaneous sea and air transport via Salalah) minimises logistics cost, the period of handling goods (that have added value or are perishable or brittle) when transporting them to markets in Europe, the United States or African states. Both products have been developed after passing the trial periods, now over.

Speaking about employment in higher and medium posts, Al-Shanfari said that more than 80 per cent of the company’s staff are Omanis with advanced expertise in managing operations.