Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, alongside Oman's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, visited Sohar Port and Freezone to review the area's industrial and logistics capabilities. During the visit, Omani officials presented an overview of the Sohar Freezone, which hosts a diverse range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, metals, plastics and clean energy, in addition to logistics and warehousing activities. Officials also highlighted the investment opportunities and incentives available within the freezone, as well as the strategic role of Sohar Port as Oman's primary gateway for imports and exports, handling more than 80% of the Sultanate's trade flows. They noted that the integrated logistics, metals, petrochemicals and food ecosystem at Sohar Port and Freezone has attracted investments exceeding $30bn. Together, the port and freezone handle more than 75 million tonnes of cargo annually, receive over 3,000 vessels each year, host around 1,900 companies and provide approximately 42,000 direct and indirect jobs. The visit also showcased the competitive advantages of North Al Batinah Governorate, including its strategic location, diversified economic activities, natural resources, multiple access points, and strong agricultural and fisheries sectors. Al-Wazir stressed the importance of the Sohar Freezone and its existing industries as a potential platform for deeper industrial integration between Egypt and Oman. He highlighted that Oman's surplus production of polypropylene and copper could help meet current demand in the Egyptian market. The minister underscored the need to strengthen maritime connectivity between the two countries by linking Egypt's Ain Sokhna Port, operated by six of the world's largest port operators and connected to major global shipping lines, with Sohar Port, to facilitate the movement of raw materials and goods to domestic, regional and international markets. Al-Wazir also pointed to a wide range of investment opportunities available to Omani partners in Egyptian ports, particularly at Greater Alexandria Port, including the Middle Port, the second logistics zone spanning 547 feddans, and the Alexandria cruise terminal. He underlined the importance of cooperation in maritime transport, noting the significant development witnessed by Egypt's maritime sector in recent years. Egypt has expanded its port infrastructure by adding five new ports, bringing the total number of commercial ports to 19, constructing new berths and terminals with total quay lengths exceeding 100 kilometres, and deepening navigation channels to increase capacity to 40 million TEUs and 400 million tonnes of cargo annually. These developments have helped attract six of the world's largest shipping lines and seven major global port operators. Al-Wazir also noted that Ain Sokhna Port recently entered the Guinness World Records as the deepest man-made port basin built on land, with a depth of 19 metres. In parallel, Egypt is working to strengthen and modernise its commercial fleet, targeting 40 merchant vessels by 2030. Following the briefing, the Deputy Prime Minister conducted a field tour of Sohar Port and the freezone, including visits to several berths and logistics facilities.
