Salalah Port Services Co. (SAOG), the operator of the Port of Salalah, has signed an MOU with the Government of Oman to expand the present container handling facilities by constructing additional 1350 meters of quay wall. This will extend the total container terminal quay length to 3,555 meters with an annual capacity to handle around 9 million twenty equivalent units (TEUs) annually by 2013.
According to Oman Observer newspaper, this project is part of an effort to “prepare the terminal for the future”, said Tiemen Meester, the outgoing Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Port of Salalah. In 2004, the port handled 2.2 million TEUs of containers. “Nonetheless, we worked hard optimising our operations and gearing up for future growth,” said Meester. “Last year we handled about 2.4 million TEU in 2006, and the numbers so far show that we are on track for further solid growth during this year.”
Salalah Port Services Co. is listed on the Omani stock market. Net profit announced for the 1st Qtr of the year 2008, amounted to RO 1.56 million, an increase of 143%.
© 2008 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
