The Sultanate of Oman’s Sohar Port and Freezone, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), is launching a five-part webinar series titled Accessing Industrial and Logistic Solutions to Maximize Your Market Reach.
The first webinar, on July 13th, will highlight the opportunities available at Sohar Port and Freezone, where Indian businesses can take advantage of the excellent infrastructure and strategic location within global trade routes, enabling them to maximize their market reach in the GCC, Africa, and the U.S.
The session will deliver insights into how Sohar Port and Freezone provides unrivalled benefits, adding value to businesses through competitive utility prices, attractive incentive packages and rich sources of raw materials, in addition to the benefit of the Oman/U.S.A. Free Trade Agreement for duty free access on qualifying products.
Omar Al Mahrizi, Sohar Port and Freezone’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Sohar Freezone CEO, highlights, “Oman and India have enjoyed decades of bilateral trading, linked by geography, history, culture and warm and cordial relations. We are honoured to collaborate with FICCI for an insightful series to explore opportunities for both countries. We are certain that the series will help businesses in India to recognize the offerings and advantages available to them. Sohar’s close geographical location, prime waterfront access, leasable land options, and numerous logistics solutions are all key ingredients to enable Indian businesses to expand the reach of their products and services globally.”
Among the unique incentives offered by Sohar Port and Freezone is its One-Stop-Shop facility; a single window clearing service through which all licenses, permits and approvals can be obtained. This means that Freezone clients will require very little interaction with governmental institutions, since Sohar Port and Freezone will directly coordinate with the Oman government for all the requirements to set-up and operate a working company.
Sohar Port and Freezone has been influential in connecting the Gulf region to India. Approximately 35% of total companies in the Freezone are from Indian investors, with investments to date reaching over USD 680 million. In addition, a quarter of the total land in the Freezone is leased by Indian investors. Indian shareholders also own the highest percentage of General Trading Licenses (GTL) with core GTL sectors being metals, polymers and textiles. Prominent Indian investors at Sohar include Jindal Shadeed, Larsen and Toubro (L&T), and Moon Iron and Steel Company (MISCO). Indian investors in the Port have plans to expand utilizing the various facilities that exist around Sohar’s sustainability initiatives.
The five-part webinar series will further elaborate on opportunities in various sectors such as food, automotive, plastics and metals, in the coming months.