Tuesday 06 / October / 2026
Muscat: The Economic and Financial Committee of the Shura Council met on Tuesday with Dr. Raid Al Rubaiey, Chief Executive Officer of SOHAR Port and Freezone; Anacin Kum, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports Sohar, the operator of the container terminals at Sohar Port; and a number of specialists.
The meeting discussed the proposal put forward on measuring the economic progress achieved against the targets of Logistics Strategy 2040, and reviewed the port's and the Freezone's operational performance, key developments and future plans, alongside the role of the logistics ecosystem in supporting economic growth and strengthening Oman's competitiveness in this vital sector.
The meeting opened with a presentation by the CEO of SOHAR Port and Freezone, covering several areas related to developing the port and the Freezone's operational and logistics systems.
These included the governance of operations, the frameworks for partnership and integration among the companies operating in the port, and the role of the private sector in driving economic growth and enabling small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to benefit from opportunities across logistics and industrial activities.
The presentation also outlined the main challenges facing the logistics system amid shifts in global trade flows and supply chains, together with solutions and proposals to strengthen its resilience and the sustainability of its operations, as well as the role of the port and its operators in maximising the targets of Logistics Strategy 2040 by developing value-added supply chains and improving the efficiency of logistics services and the integration of industrial, commercial and port activities.
Following the presentation, Committee members raised a range of topics and queries related to the themes of the proposal.
They also inquired about safety and security at the companies and factories operating within the Industrial Port, and the measures in place to ensure business continuity and raise safety standards across activities.
The queries also covered directions for developing re-export activity and the potential to strengthen the port's role as a transit hub, as well as the main future plans and strategies for developing the port and the Freezone and enhancing their operational and logistics efficiency.
The meeting also featured a presentation by a specialist from Hutchison Ports Sohar, the operator of the container terminals at Sohar Port, providing an overview of the company, the nature of its business and its role in operating the port's container terminals.
It also set out the company's future expansion and development plans, container throughput indicators and figures, and related efforts to improve operational efficiency, expand terminal capacity and keep pace with the anticipated growth in trade flows and supply chains.
During the discussion, Committee members put forward several queries concerning the company's operations and its strategic expansion and development plans, the extent to which its operations contribute to strengthening Sohar Port's competitiveness and supporting the logistics sector's targets, and opportunities to improve the services provided in line with developments in the maritime transport and logistics sector, regionally and internationally.
The meeting forms part of the Economic and Financial Committee's follow-up on matters related to the national economy and its associated productive sectors, and its commitment to examining performance indicators and the challenges facing the economic and logistics sectors, and to discussing ways of enhancing their contribution to economic diversification, raising value added and making the best use of Oman's strategic location, in line with the targets of Oman Vision 2040 and Logistics Strategy 2040.
Separately, the Committee discussed, during its meeting, a number of items on its agenda.
It reviewed and approved the Committee's opinion on the Ministry of Energy and Minerals; 2025 Annual Report, and discussed the proposal on establishing a National Centre for Laboratories, Standards and Metrology and Food Safety, in light of the importance of strengthening the inspection, testing and monitoring system and raising the efficiency of the national infrastructure for standards, metrology and food safety, thereby supporting product quality, safeguarding consumers and helping unify and integrate related efforts.
The meeting was chaired by Ahmed Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Committee of the Shura Council, and attended by the Committee members.
