Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has formally advanced the development of the Masirah Multi-Purpose Port by awarding a major $72 million construction deal to ramp up the island’s coastal infrastructure. Designed as an extensive 1.8 million square meter facility aligned with the strategic diversification goals of Oman Vision 2040, the project is engineered to boost the region’s transport, tourism, and security sectors. The sprawling complex will feature an expanded breakwater system reaching over 4.1 kilometers in length and a basin dredged to depths of up to 6 meters to smoothly accommodate mid-sized vessels, Coast Guard operations, and marine transport.
As part of the same infrastructure push, the Sultanate has concurrently initiated rehabilitation works for the interconnected Shannah and Masirah port terminals to better handle a massive surge in commercial and holiday passenger traffic. Beyond the new 132-meter fixed berths, dedicated passenger terminals, and modern yacht marinas, the port is explicitly designed to draw non-fisheries private capital to the island. Local authorities and private developers are using this expanded deepwater access to integrate secondary commercial ventures, positioning Masirah to support new ice-making plants, fish processing facilities, dhow tourism workshops, and advanced vessel maintenance hubs.
The Masirah Multi-Purpose Port is strategically positioned to support Oman’s vision of becoming a regional maritime logistics hub, complementing the development of the Sultanate’s first dedicated minerals seaport by enhancing logistics, storage, and maritime connectivity for the mining sector.
June 30, 2023
As per official reports, Oman has invited bids for the construction of the Masirah Multipurpose Port. The multi-million rial investment is also reported to potentially energize the island’s overall growth. Moreover, it is said to also significantly contribute to the region’s fish processing and fisheries sectors.
Quite impressively, the fisheries-centric harbour is well in alignment with the Omani government’s strategy for expanding fishery harbour infrastructure. Furthermore, the Masirah Multipurpose Port Project forms part of Oman’s 10th Five Year Plan over the 2021-2025 timeframe. As a result, the development project also receives recognition as a key infrastructure that will advance Oman’s socio-economic progression.
Implementation of the Masirah Multipurpose Port Project will be overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources. Nonetheless, the facility’s design and built still aim to attract non-fisheries related investments. As a whole, it aims to pull investment in marinas for leisure boats and yachts, marine tourism, and aqua sports.
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The Masirah Multipurpose Port Project Invites Both Local Companies and Private Investors
As a whole, the development will feature a mid-sized harbour. It will also include a pair of breakwater arms that span a distance of 4.1 kilometres. In total, the basin covers an area of about 1 million square meters. Varying between depths of 5 and 6 meters, the project will dredge the basin. Additionally, the development will feature a quay wall that is approximately 500 meters and several pontoons for trawlers.
The Government’s Ministry encouraged local construction firms with expertise, especially in marine infrastructure to bid. Moreover, private investors have also received invitations to set up economic and commercial activities. In an effort to help in maximizing value creation for the new port, these activities include ice-making plants, fishing meals, and fish-progressing projects. Alongside dhow tourism, maintenance workshops as well as boat and engine repair.
Project Factsheet
Project Name: Masirah Multi-Purpose Port
Location: Masirah Island, South Al Sharqiyah, Oman
Project Type: Multi-purpose fishing, tourism, and transport port
Estimated Project Cost: OMR 28 million
Main Contractors: Khimji Ramdas Contracting and Archimedes Marine Engineering
Tender Launch: June 2023
Contract Award: March 2025
Total project area: approximately 1.8 million square metres (land and marine areas)
Port basin area: approximately 1 million square metres
Basin dredging depth: 5–6 metres
Total breakwater length: 4,172 metres
- Main breakwater: 3,052 metres
- Secondary breakwater: 1,120 metres
Fixed berth length: 590 metres
13 floating berths/docks planned
1,100-metre sandy beach frontage
Passenger terminal and ferry facilities included
Dedicated berths for Coast Guard and marine transport services
Tourist yacht berths planned
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