SOHAR Port and Freezone headed east this week to participate in Breakbulk China 2016 – Asia’s largest conference and exhibition addressing the needs of break bulk and project cargo logistics.
Breakbulk China offers SOHAR invaluable opportunities to connect with shippers, international freight forwarders, logistics and transportation decision makers in Asia, along with over 160 other exhibitors. Thousands of specialists attended the four-day event at the World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre in Shanghai, home to the world’s number one container port.
SOHAR Port’s Executive Commercial Manager, Marc Evertse, speaking during a break in the conference said: “Last year, SOHAR Port saw a sharp increase in break bulk cargo shipments to over 1.9 million tons, increasing by 46% from 2014 to 2015. We’re also handling over 200,000 vehicles a year at the Port, making SOHAR a significant regional automotive hub for the Middle East.”
Break bulk continues to grow in the region thanks to the huge investments in infrastructure projects throughout the Middle East, offering significant opportunities on all sides of the business. Because of the prime location of SOHAR outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the Port’s seamless sea-road-air access right across the Arabian Peninsula, SOHAR has seen double-digit growth across all cargo volumes since operations started in 2004, and both Port and Freezone continue to grow rapidly. The Port’s general cargo terminal is operated by C. Steinweg Oman, part of the leading Rotterdam-based group with terminal operations all over the world.
A recent survey among Asian investors placed SOHAR as the region’s second most important business and logistics hub after Dubai’s JAFZA, which has been active since the 1980’s. “Being outside the Strait of Hormuz gives us a real advantage over other port and freezone sites in the Middle East when it comes to handling break bulk and project cargoes. Our multimodal infrastructure and ground handling capabilities are also equipped to be able to transport goods seamlessly throughout the region,” explained Andre Toet, SOHAR CEO. He continued: “in SOHAR we say ‘It all starts here’ and that is particularly true when it comes to our growing break bulk business.