‘Port city’ on Oman border planned

An official Omani source has revealed plans to launch a "logistic port city" along the Saudi-Omani border later this year. The port will comprise a large service area that will house warehouses, transport companies and custom services companies.
The source said that several government bodies have been working on its development, including the Ministry of Commerce, the General Organization for Industry and the Ministry of Housing.
According to the source, there has been considerable efforts from both the Saudi and Omani sides to revitalize the border region. The port will contribute to saving up to 50 percent of shipping and transport time, reducing the total time of shipping from six days to three days, he said.
He said that investment in the project will be open to Gulf citizens.
Saif bin Khamis, director of the Department of Export Promotion, said that the new customs system has cut down up to 90 percent of the customs bottlenecks that previously existed between Gulf states, allowing the process to run more efficiently for all.
The announcement came during a press conference on Tuesday regarding the Omani Products Exhibition, which is to take place from May 18 to 21, and involve the participation of 100 Omani companies and products, including small and medium-sized enterprises.