Islamabad urges Oman to expand deep-water port’s reach to Pakistan to enhance regional trade

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan has urged Oman to expand the reach of its deep-water port and free zone by connecting it through Pakistan to Central Asia and China to enhance regional trade cooperation, Khan’s ministry said on Tuesday.
The statement came during Khan’s three-day official visit to Oman where he spent his first day in the industrial hub of Sohar to discuss bilateral trade, investment and industrial collaboration between the South Asian nation and the Middle Eastern state.
Pakistan aims to leverage its strategic geopolitical position to enhance its role as a key trade and transit hub connecting landlocked Central Asian republics with the rest of the world. In recent months, there has been a surge of visits, investment talks and economic activity involving Gulf and Middle Eastern nations.
During his visit to Sohar Port, the Pakistani commerce minister was given a detailed briefing on the port’s state-of-the-art facilities and its role as a major trade and logistics hub.
“He emphasized the potential for enhanced trade cooperation, particularly in expanding Sohar Port and Free Zone’s reach through Pakistan to Central Asia and China,” the Pakistani commerce ministry said in a statement, following Khan’s meeting with Omani officials.
Khan, who was accompanied by Pakistan’s ambassador to Oman Naveed Safdar Bokhari and other officials, was presented with an overview of the integrated free economic zone and industrial city, highlighting Sohar Port’s strategic role in handling 80 percent of Oman’s international trade and industrial activities.
The commerce minister urged joint ventures between Pakistani and Omani businesses during his meeting with industrialists and business leaders.
“The minister reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to boosting trade with Oman, particularly in the industrial and logistics sectors,” the commerce ministry said.
Later, Khan was taken on a city tour where he offered prayers at the iconic Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Sohar.
Last August, Islamabad invited Oman to invest in Pakistan’s agriculture, mineral and IT sectors through the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a Pakistani civil-military body aimed at attracting foreign investment.
The South Asian nation has been making efforts to boost foreign investment in order to reduce its reliance on foreign debt to support its fragile $350 billion economy. There has recently been a surge in economic engagements between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and other nations.