Al Madina Logistics and Port of Duqm have signed an agreement to build an integrated complex to manage logistics operations in Duqm.

A land investment agreement at the logistics complex of Duqm Port in Oman’s Al Wusta Governorate was signed between Al Madina Logistics Duqm Company and the Port of Duqm Company recently, said a report.

The agreement includes lease and investment of logistics land with future expansions in the logistics complex located near the Port of Duqm, where an integrated logistics centre will be established to manage logistics operations in Duqm, added the Oman Daily Observer report.

The agreement was signed at the headquarters of Sezad in Muscat by Mahmood bin Sakhi Al Balushi, chief executive officer of Al Madina Logistics Duqm, and Reggy Vermeulen, chief executive officer of Duqm Port, in the presence of a number of board members and the executive team, it said.

The signing was held under the auspices of Yahya bin Saeed al Jabri, chairman of the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (Sezad) and was attended by Major-General (Retd) Hassan Ihsan al Naseeb, chairman of Al Madina Logistics Duqm Company and a number of officials.

The first phase of the project includes construction of a main office building with offices for management, freight services inclusive of air, land and sea, specialised project logistics for the oil and gas sector, customs clearance as well as open yard storage for large structures and a container yard.

The second phase of the project includes the establishment of an integrated distribution centre for management of supply chain and distribution with storage zones at different temperatures and highest quality standards, added the report.

“The signing of this investment agreement with Port of Duqm comes within the framework of the company’s strategy to expand in the provinces and economic zones, contribute to logistics infrastructure and services in line with the aspirations of the government for private sector investment in the economic zones, as well as to create job opportunities for citizens and contribute to the development of the logistics sector as one of the key sectors in income source diversification,” said Al Naseeb, chairman of Al Madina Logistics.

“The signing of this important agreement comes within the framework of the company’s plans to expand its operations to the Duqm Economic Zone in Al Wusta Governorate where the company will manage the logistics and operations in oil and gas and specialised projects through the port of Duqm. The Economic Zone in Duqm is witnessing a qualitative leap in various economic activities with the aspiration that Duqm will emerge as an important economic and investment centre in the region due to its geographical location and its proximity to the Asian and African markets,” said Mahmood Sakhi Al Balushi, CEO of Al Madina Logistics Duqm.

“Al Madina Logistics aims to contribute to the implementation of the national strategic plan for the logistics sector and its belief in the importance of the Port of Duqm in the overall economic development. Duqm also has a deep seaport for receiving the largest international shipping vessels, and an airport for receiving the largest aircraft with specialised air cargo facilities,” he added.

Al Madina Logistics, which manages the Container Freight Station and Dry Port (Muscat Container Depot – MCD) facility located at Barka, will connect the MCD to Duqm Port by assembling the incoming and outgoing consignments and transferring them to and from the port of Duqm to increase the flow of goods and customs clearance in terms of increasing efficiency in time and cost.

Al Madina Logistics Duqm is one of the subsidiaries of Al Madina Logistics Services Company, among the leading companies in the field of logistics, having established the first dry port in Oman under the name of Muscat Container Depot. The station provides a variety of services that contribute to the flow of the import and export movement.