Oman plans Khasab-Dubai ferry lane trial after Ramadan

Oman Sunday 05/June/2016 22:47 PM
By: Times News Service
Oman plans Khasab-Dubai ferry lane trial after Ramadan

Muscat: A new ferry connecting Khasab and Dubai will be tested after Ramadan, according to a senior official at the National Ferries Company (NFC).
“If the route is feasible, we will start operating ferries,” Mahdi Al Abdawani, the CEO of the National Ferries Company, told Times of Oman.
“The initiatives are part of the company’s objectives to connect Omani ports with regional ones,” Al Abdawani added.
The company has already carried out a number of visits to Iranian ports, Al Abdawani added.
“We will have another visit to Dubai and Kish Island after Ramadan to connect it with ports in the Sultanate,” Al Abdawani said, adding that the ferry to Bandar Abbas port will be launched after Ramadan for a six month period to check the income brought in on this route. According to Al Abdawani, the company is currently working on fares to charge passengers.
“From Muscat to Bandar Abbas the travel time will be almost seven hours. However, from Muscat we can open a route to Chabahar Port in Iran because it is only four hours. Passengers can travel to Khasab from Muscat and then to Bandar Abbas, or from Shinas to Khasab and then to Bandar Abbas. From Khasab to Dubai it is 90 minutes and from Muscat to Khasab it is five hours and 30 minutes,” Al Abdawani added.
Additionally, high-speed ferries will be used for this trip, however, in the first phase, vehicles will not be ferried to Khasab and Bandar Abbas.
“For Dubai it’s a trial now, and after we check their port we may allow the ferrying of cars,” Al Abdawani added.