Port of Salalah in Oman Adjusts Operations due to Red Sea Interference.

The Port of Salalah in Oman has seen a recovery in cargo traffic following a decline in container throughput earlier this year, attributed to the Red Sea crisis forcing vessels to reroute around Africa. Container traffic dropped to 878,000 TEUs in Q1 2024, down 17% from the same period in 2023. However, CEO Mohammed Al-Mashani stated in a recent interview that the port’s cargo throughput is improving, with 1.7 million TEUs and 11.6 million tons of general cargo handled in the first half of the year.

The Port of Salalah is strategically located on main east-west shipping routes, positioning it for an expanded transshipment market. A $300 million expansion plan is underway to increase annual container handling capacity from 5 million to 6 million TEUs, including the addition of six fully electric ship-to-shore cranes. Al-Mashani highlighted the port’s efforts to connect with major international shipping lines and expand its transshipment market linking Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Salalah’s location as a transshipment port for the East African market offers shorter transit times between Southeast Asia and countries in East Africa. The port introduced a multi-modal service option for shipping lines to avoid re-routing around the Cape of Good Hope by moving cargo through an overland route to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, reducing time and costs. From Jeddah, cargo can continue by container vessel through the Suez Canal to Europe or the US East Coast.

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