Al Hosn Logistics plans major expansion at Sohar Free Zone

Muscat: Al Hosn Logistics and Warehousing Services SPC, a subsidiary of Al Hosn Investment Company (HIC), signed an agreement with Amjaad Engineering & Contracting, earlier this month, to expand its existing facility at Sohar Free Zone at an additional investment of OMR2.5 million.
Construction work on the expansion process is expected to be undertaken shortly by Amjaad Engineering & Contracting. It will take the total built-up area of the facility to 22,000sqm, from its current 12,500sqm.
Speaking on the sidelines of the signing ceremony, Osama Mariam, CEO of HIC, pointed out that the expansion project would witness the establishment of cold storage warehouses, a first of its kind in Sohar Free Zone. “We have hired Corduff Oman as consultants to undertake the expansion work, design and supervision which will see both structural additions as well as up-gradation of the facilities within the warehouse. It will add to the ease and convenience of companies seeking warehousing and storage facilities to handle the overflow of inventory while converting warehousing costs into variable costs,” he stated, adding that the new project would take the total investment to above OMR5mn.
As per the plan, the cold storage warehouses will be divided into 21 chambers, featuring controlled temperature ranging from -30° to 7°. Moreover, all the warehouses would be convertible from dry to cold storage and from cold to dry. Expected to be completed by year-end 2020, the project will nearly double the built-up area and increase the leasable area.
Located in phase I of the 4,500 Hectare Sohar Free Zone, Al Hosn Logistics and Warehousing Services SPC, which became operational in 2015, enjoys proximity to the deep-sea industrial port, airport and proposed terminal. It currently accommodates high-quality warehouses that are divided into light/industrial units. These units have been designed with an element of flexibility for future resizing purposes, like the upcoming proposed expansion project. Moreover, the overall units are made with joint-less steel fibre concrete flooring with around 600sqm of the ground floor and 150sqm of the mezzanine, which enhance the operational efficiency of the facility. Overall, these units are supported by insulated sandwich panels for walls and roof and they feature skylights to allow natural light. There are roof-mounted, wind operated exhaust fans, fire-resistant superstructure, as well as fire-fighting system. Each of the units has 50sqm of loading/unloading bay in front of it and a clear internal height of 10 metres.
“Our expansion plans are specifically designed to bolster the potentials of the existing warehouse services while creating better and more improved facilities for our clients from around the country. Additional built-up and the leasable area will help us better support Sohar Port and Freezone’s growing credentials as a significant entity in Oman’s growing economic horizon. We are looking forward to working closely with Amjaad Engineering & Contracting to reach our new milestone within the scheduled time and meet the expectations of our growing list of customers,” said Osama Mariam.