Duqm is changing how Gulf bulk cargo reaches Africa and Asia

Ten years ago Duqm was a fishing town with a master plan. Today its dry dock repairs very large crude carriers, and its bulk and general cargo terminal handles cargoes that would once have gone through Sohar or Jebel Ali by default.

The advantage is geographic. Duqm faces the Arabian Sea directly. A supramax bound for Mombasa from Duqm saves close to two days of sailing compared with a loading port inside the Strait of Hormuz, before any allowance for congestion or war-risk premiums.

Storage is the second factor. New open and covered storage areas allow cargo to be built up ahead of vessel arrival, which shortens laytime and makes it practical to combine cargo from more than one producer.

We now route a growing share of our clinker and bitumen through Duqm, and our logistics desk books storage there for customers who need blending or bagging before shipment.