Sohar, 13 Feb (ONA) —- A set of vessels dropped anchor at Sohar Port here today, signaling the start of operations on the fast maritime route commissioned by the Sultanate of Oman’s Asyad Group along the Indian Ocean.

Asyad expanded the range of the fast Indian container cargo route by establishing a new maritime route that connects the Sultanate of Oman directly with Malaysia and Singapore.

The move seeks to enhance the competitiveness of Omani seaports and maintain support to the local merchant community.

To cater to the rising demand in inter-nation cargo, the new service line, which is now connecting Oman with India, Singapore, Malaysia through the Port of Sohar sets a new standard for what can be achieved by Asyad Group, with an anticipated total throughput of 100K TEUs annually.

Commenting on the expansion of Asyad Shipping’s ocean-freight service to Singapore and Malaysia – Dr. Ibrahim Bakhit Al Nadhairi, Chief Executive Officer of Asyad Shipping and Drydock Services said: “Asyad Group remains committed to enhancing the competitive edge of Oman’s ports, boosting their operational efficiency and harnessing their logistics potential by linking them via direct lines with various global commercial ports, to provide an added value to the national economy and cement Oman’s position as a global logistics hub and transit gateway.” “We realize that the strength of our network in Asia will play a critical role in driving future growth. This new container line is set to increase trade relations with Asian countries, provide competitive advantages to the local and regional trade community, enhance all national exports to and from Singaporean and Malaysian and neighbouring markets, and provide Omani traders with a fast, time- and cost-effective access to Singapore as an international distribution hub and subsequently to Southeast Asian markets”, he added.

Asyad keeps up to its obligations to provide new direct maritime routes that connect the Sultanate of Oman with the rest of the world, provide reliable global solutions and ensure prompt delivery amid a surge in volume of cargo and commercial traffic in Asia and the Indian Ocean region.

Asyad Shipping is the only direct sea route carrier from the West Coast of India to Oman, and vice versa. It is also the only direct carrier to connect the South of Oman (via Salalah Port) to the North of GCC including Iraq without transshipment, providing a reliable direct link to key markets. Asyad Shipping operates four ships in two services: Oman-India Express Service, and the Oman-Gulf Express.

Ends/AB/AH