Gulf Construction Online - Duqm Town second phase launched

Real Estate

Duqm Town second phase launched

01 August 2015

Work has started on Phase Two of Duqm Frontier Town in Oman with Al Madinah Real Estate Company building a shopping mall to further develop the economic zone.

Being spearheaded by Duqm Development Company, the town is located in wilayat Duqm on the eastern coast of the sultanate, 550 km south of Muscat and a similar distance from Salalah. The total area of Frontier Town is about 270 hectares and is being developed in phases.

“There are a number of other infrastructure projects as well, such as the remaining packages of Duqm Port and airport, roads, liquid and bulk material pier, 150 housing units for citizens, the Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (Sezad) headquarters, and the new main road to the centre of Wilayat of Duqm,” Yahya bin Said Al Jabri, chairman of Sezad, is quoted as saying in a Duqm Economist magazine report.

Also being developed is a contractors’ housing complex by Renaissance Services to provide accommodation for workers. This complex will accommodate about 16,000 people and will provide various facilities to its residents.

In addition, there are investments carried out by local and foreign companies in the educational, health, commercial, industrial, logistics and other sectors, says Al Jabri.

He adds Sezad provides several facilities through its one-stop shop to overcome various difficulties and challenges facing investors.

About Duqm, Al Jabri says the port city on the Arabian Sea is near international shipping routes and key markets in Asia and Africa.

“It is not only an industrial zone; it’s a economic zone that has room for tourism, recreational, real estate and residential projects. It can accommodate warehouses, hospitals, international schools and many other projects, in addition to other key projects related to ports, dry docks, heavy and petrochemical industries. All these projects give Sezad an impetus and readies it to attract different investors,” he says.

Sezad is keen on attracting domestic investment by providing a conducive environment for private sector investment, says Al Jabri.

“Sezad has been working to keep up with investors’ ambitions and expectations. It has prepared an integrated package of incentives and facilities that include tax exemptions up to 30 years renewable for similar periods and land usufructs up to 50 calendar years renewable for similar periods,” he adds.