Oman is building a new port to give India better access to energy from the Persian Gulf

Vessels near the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Musandam, Oman. The Port of Sohar is located on the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Oman and ships can access the hubs in the Gulf through this port as it lies far from the Strait of Hormuz. File | Photo credit: Reuters

With the Strait of Hormuz in a chokehold due to hostilities between Iran and the US, Oman has offered India investment opportunities for a new port that could provide uninterrupted access to energy resources from the Persian Gulf.

In New Delhi on Wednesday (16 Sep 2026), a senior official of Oman’s Sohar Port welcomed India’s investment in the port, saying it would serve as a platform to connect businesses in regional and global markets.

“India represents an important and growing dimension of Sohar’s international investment landscape, with established Indian businesses already contributing to our industrial ecosystem. There is significant potential to deepen this relationship through investments that complement our industrial clusters, strengthen value chains and create new opportunities for growth,” said Raid Al Rubaiey, CEO of Sohar Freezone and Deputy CEO of Sohar Port.

Far from the Strait of Hormuz

The port is located on the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Oman and ships can access Gulf hubs through this port as it is far from the Strait of Hormuz.

Mr. Rubaiey said Sohar Port has received more than $30 billion in investment and is capable of handling 72 million tons of cargo annually. “Sohar provides an established industrial and logistics platform connecting businesses to regional and global markets,” he said.

The remarks came at the end of a two-day promotional event organized by the Embassy of Oman, during which Ambassador of Oman Issa Saleh Al Shibani introduced the port and Freezone to Indian businesses, manufacturers and exporters with the aim of increasing Indian participation in the port.

Previously, Oman offered Duqm and Salalah ports to India, but compared to these two ports, Sohar port has the advantage of being located in the north-east of Oman, close to the vital energy pipelines of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and eastern Saudi Arabia. With access to UAE ports at risk, the port of Sohar is growing in importance, and Reuters reported on Wednesday that Saudi Arabia was offering more oil loadings to Asian refiners through ship-to-ship transfers from the port of Sohar after drone attacks damaged its vital pipeline to the Red Sea.

The importance of the Port of Sohar is expected to grow further as the Oman-UAE railway begins to connect the port to the UAE network, boosting cross-border freight traffic.

The Embassy of Oman described the Sohar Port and Freezone as a “mega project” developed by the ASYAD Group and the Port of Rotterdam, offering a “comprehensive range of services, including logistics, petrochemicals and (a) metals”. It also provides the first agricultural terminal in the Persian Gulf region.

Published – 16 Sep 2026 22:48 IST