Muscat – The construction work on the Dibba Fishing Port development project is progressing at a good pace, and the port is expected to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2025, a senior official informed on Saturday.

The Dibba Fishing Port, which is being developed at an approximate cost of RO40mn in the wilayat of Dibba in Musandam Governorate, is considered one of the most important development projects implemented by the Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources. The project aims to achieve economic diversification and create an attractive environment for investments and exploitation of fishery resources in the sultanate.

In a statement to Oman News Agency, Ahmed bin Ali al Shehhi, head of the fishing port in the wilayat of Dibba, confirmed that the construction completion rate for the Dibba Port project has reached approximately 75%, and the marine works in the port are expected to be completed within the next two months.

“The project is expected to be fully opened during the first quarter of 2025, as the boat landing has been operated and the main beach will be completed in the coming days,” he said.

Shehhi informed that all concrete sidewalks have been completed, and public sidewalks equipped with high specifications, including electricity and water services, will soon be installed. He added that the port currently deals with all sectors and has received cargo ships to and from several neighboring countries.

He explained that the Dibba Port project is multi-use, as it includes four basic sectors: fishing, tourism, maritime transport and trade services, and maritime security.

Shehhi stated that the project includes two breakwaters, the length of the main breakwater being 1,550 meters, while the length of the secondary breakwater is 500 meters, with a harbor basin with a depth of up to 8 meters, floating moorings, a beach for docking small boats with a length of 130 meters, a boat slip, and a ship crane.

“There are boats with a capacity of more than 150 tonnes, a fish market, an ice factory, a building for marine workshops, warehouses for fishermen, various commercial stores, an administration building, a passenger building, and other service buildings,” he said.

According to Shehhi, the project also includes allocating an area of 5,000 sqm to invest in a tourist hotel, restaurant complexes, and tourist services, in addition to facilities for the transportation and trade sector.

He explained that the port can accommodate cruise ships, especially after the International Cruise Ship Organization approved Dibba Port as a terminal for its ships worldwide. He added that the Dibba Port currently receives about 4,000 passengers per month through the National Ferry Company.

“Dibba Port will have a significant economic impact in the Musandam Governorate in general and the wilayat of Dibba in particular. Due to the investment opportunities it contains that will benefit the people of the governorate and attract foreign investors, it is expected that the project will provide more than a thousand direct and indirect jobs in the first year of its commercial operations,” Shehhi said.

After the completion of the development work for Dibba Port, the port will become the second-largest multi-use port in Oman and the first port to connect Musandam Governorate with North Batinah Governorate. Immediately after the completion of the Dibba-Lima-Khasab road project, the Dibba Port is expected to increase the number of ships and attract more travelers and tourists to the area.

The head of the fishing port in Dibba expressed his hope that the port would contribute to supporting the national economy, revitalizing the economic movement in Musandam Governorate, facilitating the movement of shipping and landing, and providing new job opportunities for citizens.

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