Overview
The Port of Salalah, located in Dhofar Governorate on Oman’s southern coast adjacent to the Gulf of Aden, is Oman’s largest and most internationally significant container port. It operates as a major transhipment hub on the East-West shipping lane between Asia and Europe — one of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes.
Strategic Position
Salalah’s geographic location gives it several competitive advantages:
- Main East-West trade lane: Positioned directly on the route between Asian production hubs (China, India, Southeast Asia) and European consumer markets
- Indian Ocean access: Without the Hormuz Strait transit required for Gulf ports
- Arabian Sea hub: Natural hub for feeder services to East Africa, Red Sea, Indian Subcontinent, and Arabian Peninsula
- Distance from congestion: Unlike Persian Gulf ports, Salalah is not subject to the congestion that affects Jebel Ali and other Gulf ports during peak periods
Operations
Container throughput: Approximately 4-5 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) per annum — transhipment-dominated, with significant feeder network serving regional ports.
Terminal operator: The container terminal has been operated by international port operators (APM Terminals / Maersk connection historically) — providing world-class operational expertise. Terminal productivity has been among the highest globally by container moves per crane hour.
Capacity: Current installed capacity exceeds 5 million TEU, with expansion phases underway.
Ownership and Management
Port of Salalah is part of the ASYAD Group portfolio — Oman’s national logistics conglomerate. The management structure involves concession arrangements with international terminal operators for the container terminal operations.