ABSTRACT

The Salalah container port is emblematic of how Oman tries to make use of its geo-economic position but also shows the need for continuous efforts.

In the past, ports along the small coastal plain were integrated in longdistance trade between the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean worlds, including frankincense exports from the hinterland. When Sultan Qaboos tried to pacify the Dhofar civil war, the small natural harbour of Rasut, 20 kilometres west of the city, was upgraded between 1971 and 1982 to serve the rapidly increasing importation of construction and consumption commodities.