Muscat: The CEO of the Port of Duqm has said that he is looking forward to seeing Oman harness its potential to become a key global and regional player.
Speaking on the occasion of the Sultanate’s 49th Renaissance Day, Reggy Vermeulen said that the developments in Duqm were helping Oman become a key player as a logistics hub that could serve the GCC region, as well as India and Africa.
“On the occasion of the 49th Renaissance Day, I wish His Majesty good health, and look forward to his leadership in guiding Oman into the next steps of its development,” said Vermeulen. “We are also looking forward to the Omani population playing an active role in the development to have Oman as a key player in the region and globally.”
“The ranking of Oman in logistics indexes has been constantly going up, which proves that the efforts that have been put in the last years for improving the logistics sectors in general, and the ports in particular, are now paying off,” he added. The Belgian also shed light on the latest developments that were taking place in Duqm, in terms of how progress there was helping both the Sultanate of Oman as a whole, as well as the fast-growing town of Duqm.
“When it comes to Duqm itself, we can divide our view into two main areas, firstly from a national point of view, we have been very active in making the logistics in Oman and especially the oil and gas logistics faster and better,” said Vermeulen. “When it comes also to the development of Duqm itself, the Port of Duqm has played an active role in facilitating both the import and the export of goods destined for the development of Duqm.”
He added: “The latest stage of this development is the construction of this refinery that is taking place now, where the Port of Duqm is supporting this construction by easing the logistics around it. From an international point of view, the Port of Duqm has been actively working in making a significant place in becoming a logistics hub to serve the entire region, mainly the GCC, India and Africa, as we are ideally located in the centre of that region to be an efficient hub for the long-term.”