Salalah New ULCS Record

The Port of Salalah, a major regional gateway port and transshipment hub on the Arabian Sea, and part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, became the first port in the Sultanate of Oman to handle an Ultra-Large Container Ship (ULCS) of over 18,000 TEU capacity with the call of the 18,270 TEU capacity, Mayview Maersk on April 10th on the weekly AE6 Europe/Far East Eastbound service. 

“This historic port call is a testament not only to the infrastructure of the Port of Salalah but also to the confidence of the world’s shipping lines in our ability to handle the world’s largest container ships in a safe and efficient manner” stated Port of Salalah CEO David Gledhill. 

The 400 meter-long and 60-meter wide Mayview Maersk, launched in July 2014, was the 10th of the 20 Maersk Line EEE-Class vessels to have been deployed. The ULCS is one of 148 vessels of 13,300 TEU to 19,224 TEU capacity currently in service overall in the global container ship fleet. Another 126 ULCS have been ordered by the world’s major shipping lines, primarily for use on the Far East/Europe trade lane. Salalah’s previous record for largest vessel call was the 15,908 TEU capacity MSC London, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company.

“We are excited to see an increasing number of services calling Salalah” said Port of Salalah Deputy CEO Ahmed Akaak, adding “We continue to pursue opportunities with various Omani businesses that are keen to leverage the superior and geographically diverse connectivity offered at Salalah to expand their markets and support the national effort to diversify the non-oil trade of the country.”

The Port of Salalah, which is operated by APM Terminals, and in which APM Terminals holds a 30% share, handled 2.6 million TEUs in 2015, along with 12.5 million tons of bulk cargo. In December 2015 the Port of Salalah opened a new deep-water General Cargo and Liquid Bulk Terminal, adding 20 million tons of dry cargo and six million tons of liquid bulk cargo annual handling capacity. The 1,266 meter quay offers two 320 meter-long General Cargo berths, two 300 meter-long liquid bulk berths and a depth of 18 meters.

 A “2030” initiative includes plans for $15 billion in infrastructure investment in the Salalah Free Trade Zone by 2028 to create a larger regional shipping and commerce center for the region, and a Port Phase 3 expansion including three new container berths.