Muscat – The Port of Sohar, the most developed city in the Sultanate of Oman, 200 kilometres away from the capital Muscat, is beginning to attract attention worldwide. The ambitious Freezone Sohar project, with facilities for companies in the food, auto, aviation, petrochemical, education and healthcare industries, was presented this Saturday (18th) to the Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Miguel Jorge, and to Brazilian businessmen who are on a trip to the country.
The port will include a large railway linking six Gulf countries (Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran) to a logistical channel to North Africa. The ancient fishing village-cum-industrial hub is attracting investment from international companies in different parts of the world.
Among them is the Brazilian mining company Vale. It has been operating in Oman since 2007 and is implementing a project for an iron ore pelletizing plant with investment of US$ 1.3 billion and a production capacity for 9 million pellets, which should start operating by the end of the year.
“Vale arrived at the Middle East through Bahrain, and later we discovered Oman, and we have evolved here in such a way that now we have decided to establish a technological base here,” said the company’s manager in Oman, Sérgio Leite. The company has a contract with the Sohar Industrial Port Company, which manages the port and is owned by the arab country’s government and by the Rotterdam Port Company, based in the Netherlands.
The Brazilian businessmen were impressed with what they witnessed in Sohar. “The visit to the port was a surprise. We got to know a port of this size, so well-built, clean and organized, and at the same time we were proud to find a large Brazilian company establishing itself there,” said the director of institutional relations for building company Queiroz Galvão, Luiz Ronaldo Cherulli.
Even though Queiroz Galvão does not operate in Oman, it is believed that the country offers great opportunities. Thus, directors of the company are going to see the country and discuss opportunities once they gain more detailed knowledge of the projects, said Cherulli.
The assistant director of Institutional Relations for Andrade Gutierrez, Marina Barki, as also very impressed with the visit to the port. “It is a port whose dimensions are matched by none in Brazil, especially in terms of depth. Its strategic position is also a fact. The Freezone is quite interesting, but this is just a preliminary visit and the details are yet to be looked into. During the meeting, the future construction of the Sohar Airport was not discussed, but it might represent a future opportunity for the company,” he added.
“The missions headed by minister Miguel Jorge and the Brazilian foreign office (Itamaraty) are granting strength and weight to Brazilian organizations. The visit to Oman was an opportunity to get to know an excellent gateway into the Arab market, combining political and economic stability and a great geographic position, in addition to great incentives offered by the Sultanate of Oman,” said Fábio Correia de Souza, of the Brasília-based building company Queiroz Galvão.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
