Sohar Port and Freezone is a deep-sea Port and Freezone in the Sultanate of Oman, managed by Sohar Industrial Port Company (SIPC), a joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam and the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the Port, the 4,500-hectare Freezone project has drawn approximately US$27 billion in foreign investment. The Public Authority for Special Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ) was founded by Royal Decree No. (105/2020) to serve as the official regulator of the country’s free zones and special economic zones, including the Sohar Free zone.

It is one of the fastest-growing ports and free zone developments in the world, with international investments totalling over US$26 billion to date. It is located at the hub of major global trade routes connecting Asia and Europe. Originally, the port was constructed around three industry clusters: logistics, petrochemicals, and metals. Recently, Sohar Food Zone launched, adding a fourth cluster. The Food Zone provides the first agro bulk port in the area, complete with integrated capabilities for food production, packaging, and logistics.

Unique access to the rapidly expanding economies of the Gulf States is made possible by Sohar, which avoids you the extra expense of navigating the heavily trafficked Strait of Hormuz. Direct connections to every GCC nation are made possible by the current road network, the airport, and the upcoming rail system. Sohar has top global partners that run its container, dry bulk, liquid, gas, and general cargo terminals, including Hutchison Ports Oman, Vale Oman, Oiltanking & Co Terminals, and C. Steinweg Oman. These partners are equipped with deep-water marinas that can handle the largest ships in the world.

Sohar, one of the world’s fastest-growing free zone and port developments, has plenty of area that is easily accessible and quickly filling up. Three years ahead of plan, the Freezone’s first phase is nearly completely leased out, and about 26 businesses are already benefiting from the unmatched access to land, affordable energy, and a trained labor force. The Freezone has ambitions to expand and grow further in the future Phase 2 due to foreign investment in Phase 1. The free zone presents an attractive value proposition with special incentives for investors to run their operations in a setting suitable to commercial success, with ease and flexibility.