Sohar Port is centre point in shipping between Far East, US and Canada- From yesterday (December 19), Port of Sohar has become a centre point in shipping service between the Far East and the United States and Canada.

As the first important strategic consideration of a container shipping line after the governments’ decision to concentrate cargo operations in Sohar, APL is choosing Port Sohar to grow as a main port of call in the Middle-East.
APL has commenced this new Ps1 new service from Port of Sohar and Oman International Container Terminal, with The MV APL Commodore (one of 10 ships of 5,500 teu in the deployment). Now Sohar will have a direct connection to the many ports in a rotation scheme to Singapore, Shenzhen-Yantian (China), Hong Kong, Xiamen (China), Busan (Korea), Seattle, Vancouver, Yokohama, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Shanghai, Ningbo (China), Hong Kong, Shenzhen-Chiwan (China), Singapore, Jebel Ali, Sohar and back to Singapore.
This new so-called “butterfly” or “pendulum” service with Oman’s Sohar Port strategically positioned to capitalise on the significant benefits — in terms of capacity, connectivity and speed offered by this new trans-global service to and from USWC and China market. As an additional gain, the service will enable the established and upcoming industries in Oman, and in particular, Free zone Sohar, to further embark on the opportunities given by the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
This FTA stimulates the trade between the two countries and this service now allows this to efficiently connect the logistics to it. APL provides customers around the world with container transportation services through a network combining high-quality intermodal operations with state-of-the-art information technology.
APL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Neptune Orient Lines, a global transportation and logistics company engaged in shipping and related businesses. The Port of Sohar is one of the largest port development projects in the world with investments exceeding $ 14 billion. It is a deep sea port with a draft of 18 metres.
The Port of Sohar is a 50:50 joint venture between the Government of Oman and the Port of Rotterdam and located 220 km northwest of the capital Muscat.
This industrial port is a deep sea port and has grown tremendously in size and importance, in only eight years since inception in 2003.
This volume together with the growth of Port of Sohar and the development of Free zone Sohar will strengthen Sohar “as an ideal point of entry for products shipped around the Gulf countries and as a gateway to the rest of the world”. These developments will also strengthen Oman’s efforts to diversify its economical drivers away from the oil and gas industry.