Oman’s Salalah port recorded a 16 per cent decline in container volumes in the first half of the year as ships because of Red Sea crisis. The port, which is Sultanate of Oman’s closest to the border with Yemen, handled 1.679 million containers in the six months to June 30, compared with 1.999 million a year earlier, Salalah Port Services Co stated. Shipping lines are bypassing the Red Sea route where Salalah is located, Dean Davison, head of maritime advisory for Infrata, said. Salalah port expects container volumes to continue to fall for at least the rest of the year if the crisis remains unresolved. However, it does not expect the disruptions to ease soon, the port operator added.
Volumes at the port’s general cargo terminal rose 4 per cent to 11.655 million tonnes in the first half of the year, driven by higher demand for gypsum and limestone exports, according to the port operator. “In the scheme of things, it’s not such a bad result in exceptionally challenging market conditions,” said Eleanor Hadland, senior analyst, ports and terminals at Drewry.
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