Thursday 10 / September / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources signed on Thursday an agreement to construct a fishing port in the Wilayat of Mahout, Al Wusta Governorate, to enhance the fisheries economy and support development and investment.
The agreement was signed on behalf of the Ministry by Dr. Saud Hamoud Al Habsi, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, while it was signed on behalf of the executing company by Eng. Ahmed Mustafa Al Assar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab Contractors Company.
The construction of the port comes within the framework of the Ministry's efforts to develop the infrastructure ecosystem for the fisheries sector, enhance the efficiency of landing, handling, and marketing operations, and provide facilities and supporting services for fishermen, alongside creating an attractive environment for investment in fish processing industries, as well as tourism and maritime activities.
The project represents one of the important development projects in Al Wusta Governorate, given the Wilayat of Mahout's fisheries and maritime assets and potential, and its role in the governorate's fish production ecosystem, thereby contributing to achieving the targets of "Oman Vision 2040" in developing promising economic sectors, enhancing the added value of local products, and diversifying sources of income.
The project includes the execution of an integrated system of maritime and construction works and service facilities in line with the needs of the fisheries sector and economic and investment activities in the Wilayat.
Maritime and basic works include constructing two breakwaters with a total length of 3,020 meters, land reclamation covering an area of 1.2 million square metres, alongside dredging the port basin over an area of 688,116 square metres to a depth of up to 4 metres.
The project also includes constructing a road and parking network with a length of 4.5 kilometres, and executing integrated networks for electricity, lighting, water, firefighting, and sewage.
The port features fixed berths extending 650 metres, three floating pontoons with a total length of 90 meters, a boat slipway with a length of 68 metres, in addition to a fisheries administration building, a fish market, two ice plants, boat and vessel repair workshops, stores and shades for fishermen, land plots dedicated to fish processing factories, a fuel station, and a prayer hall.
The project also includes dedicated facilities for tourism and security activities, including a floating pontoon for the tourism sector extending 60 metres, tourism investment land covering an area of 1,700 square metres, alongside fixed berths for the Coast Guard Police spanning 120 metres and a floating pontoon extending 80 metres with a depth reaching up to 5 metres.
The Wilayat of Mahout holds special importance in the fisheries sector in Al Wusta Governorate, as reflected by indicators and statistics related to fishing activity in the governorate and the Wilayat. The total number of fishermen in Al Wusta Governorate stands at 5,134, while the number of fishermen in the Wilayat of Mahout reaches 3,134, representing about 61 percent of the total fishermen in the governorate.
Furthermore, the total number of fishing boats in Al Wusta Governorate stands at 2,287, including 969 boats in the Wilayat of Mahout, accounting for 42.3 percent of the total fishing boats in the governorate.
Al Wusta Governorate also has 124 artisanal fishing vessels, of which the Wilayat of Mahout accounts for 95 vessels, representing about 76.6 percent of the governorate's total artisanal fishing vessels, underscoring the Wilayat's prominent status in the artisanal fishing system.
In terms of fish production, total production in Al Wusta Governorate reached 249,646 tonnes, while the Wilayat of Mahout recorded 110,503 tonnes, representing about 44.2 percent of total fish production in the governorate.
These indicators affirm the volume of fishing activity in the Wilayat of Mahout and the importance of providing an integrated infrastructure accommodating the needs of fishermen and sector-related activities, supporting enhanced efficiency of landing, handling, marketing, and processing operations, and boosting the added value of fisheries products.
The fishing port in the Wilayat of Mahout is expected to contribute to creating an integrated economic ecosystem linked to the fisheries sector, starting from fishing, landing, and handling operations, through processing, storage, and marketing, up to enhancing the added value of fish products and opening prospects for new investment opportunities.
The project also supports stimulating tourism and investment activity in the Wilayat, providing facilities and services for maritime and tourism activities, alongside enhancing maritime security and safety requirements in coordination with competent authorities.
The project embodies the Sultanate of Oman's direction toward developing infrastructure supporting promising economic sectors, empowering local communities, and maximising the utilisation of marine and fisheries resources, thereby enhancing the fisheries sector's contribution to sustainable economic and social development.
