- SOHAR hosts 7th annual Herring Party celebrating partnership with Holland
- Over 150 industry specialists attended the party to network and discuss new commercial opportunities
- Industry leaders come together to celebrate European and Middle East maritime legacies
SOHAR Port and Freezone spent the day in high spirits yesterday, as it celebrated it’s long-standing partnership with Holland by hosting it’s 7th annual Herring Party. The event attracted over 150 industry specialists from across the region, who were each invited to celebrate by trying the Dutch delicacy during the one-day festival, which was held at the nearby Crowne Plaza in Sohar.
The much-anticipated event has become a regular feature in the SOHAR calendar and provided a chance to celebrate and reflect on the strong ties that have been established between the Sultanate of Oman and The Netherlands as SOHAR goes from strength to strength. So far, more than US$21 billion has been pumped into creating a world-class facility, with SOHAR’s growing popularity contributing to lease agreements being signed for the first phase of the Freezone almost three years ahead of schedule.
In Holland, locals have been eating New Dutch Herring - or Hollandse Nieuwe - for over 600 years. Traditionally, herring is eaten by holding the fish by it’s tail, dipping it in onions and then lowering it whole into your mouth.
Reflecting on the success of recent milestones, Andre Toet, SOHAR CEO, said: “2015 has been a hugely successful year for SOHAR Port and Freezone. We have hit a number of key milestones as the business continues to grow. Much of this is owed to our strong ties with Holland - the Port of Rotterdam has a long history stretching back to the 14th-century, our vision is to experience the same level of growth and create a millennium of enterprise and sea trade right here in the Middle East.”
Prior to the event, SOHAR held an Agents Meeting: an open forum which allowed the Port and shipping communities to provide progress updates to each other, ensure they are communicating as efficiently as possible and discuss innovative ways to attract more cargoes from throughout the region to Oman’s main gateway Port.