By Khawaja Hamza

KARACHI, Chairman Gwadar Port Noor-ul-Haq Baloch met Oman’s Consul General in Karachi, Engineer Sami Abdullah Salem Al Khinji, to discuss strengthening maritime cooperation, trade and investment between Pakistan and Oman, including progress on declaring Gwadar Port and Oman’s Sohar Port sister ports.

The two sides emphasized establishing a direct port-to-port connection between Gwadar and Sohar to facilitate shipping and cargo movement, reduce transit times and promote regional trade.

The meeting also discussed the early launch of direct air connectivity between Gwadar and Oman through SalamAir. The proposed flights would strengthen direct passenger and business links between the two countries through Gwadar International Airport.

The sides reviewed opportunities for Omani investment in the Gwadar Free Zone, particularly in logistics, warehousing and fisheries, and discussed potential joint ventures in these sectors.

Technical cooperation in port management, dredging, digital port operations and training of port personnel was also discussed to enhance operational efficiency and strengthen cooperation between the two countries’ maritime sectors.

Officials noted that the proposal to establish Gwadar and Sohar as sister ports dates back to April 22, 2021, when Oman’s then Minister of Transport, Communications and Information Technology expressed interest in the initiative and requested a draft MoU from Pakistan.

Chairman Noor-ul-Haq Baloch and Consul General Engineer Sami Abdullah Salem Al Khinji agreed that a formal sister-port agreement between Gwadar and Sohar could create new opportunities for regional connectivity, trade and investment.

The proposed cooperation could also help strengthen Gwadar’s role as a regional connectivity hub and facilitate the integration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) with markets in the Gulf and Central Asia.

Chairman Gwadar Port reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to modernizing Gwadar Port and expanding maritime and commercial cooperation with Oman, while the Omani Consul General assured full cooperation in advancing the sister-port initiative.

Both sides agreed to pursue the matter through the relevant ministries in the coming weeks and explore finalizing the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the proposed sister-port agreement.