Link final Feb 2016 | Page 12

Ports News dah and Madinah, with the development of pre-built warehouses for logistics services providers and other clients. WPL has expanded its portfolio into built-to-suit warehouses and warehousing design, through collaboration with an international consulting firm, complemented with third-party logistics (3PL) services. Warehousing Solutions LLC will develop and manage the new warehouse park at SOHAR Freezone — one of WPL’s first major ventures outside the Kingdom. The signing took place at the annual SOHAR business reception, which was held in Muscat on Tuesday evening. His Excellency Sultan Al Habsi, Chairman of SOHAR Port and Freezone, as well as SOHAR CEOs Andre Toet and Jamal Aziz signed the agreement with WPL Chief Executive Abdulaziz Mansoor Al Subaie. VIPs and guest from the public and private sectors as well as representatives from key diplomatic missions in Oman attended the ceremony. The signing marks the beginning of the construction of 12 February 2016 WPL’s planned 50,000sqm warehouse park in SOHAR Freezone; a further 50,000sqm has been reserved for phase II, taking the total size of the land lease agreement up to 100,000sqm. Warehousing Solutions will construct ready-built warehouses as well as bespoke warehousing for other SOHAR tenants on-site in the Freezone. in Oman is projected to grow beyond the US$12 billion mark by 2017, and we have set out to make 2016 our Year of Logistics, to attract more 2PL and 3PL providers to SOHAR. Longterm, thanks to our unique location, the logistics industry has the potential to surpass the hydrocarbons sector as the nation’s economic mainstay.” The new deal comes at just the right time. Throughput at SOHAR Port increased dramatically over 2015, with an ]