News / Better times at Salalah thanks to port equipment upgrade and Gemini calls

Salalah, Oman’s main cargo gateway, seems to have significantly benefited from a wave of Gemini network calls and the Indian port restrictions that forced a diversion of Pakistan cargo via transhipment hubs in the region.

APM Terminals’ Salalah facility recorded an impressive 26% increase in box volumes in the first nine months of this year, according to new data, showing traffic hit 3.2m teu, up from 2.5m teu year on year.  Of that, transhipment accounted for some 2.9m teu.

That’s a big reverse from the recent volume declines seen at the Middle East hub — it handled 3.3m teu last year, versus 3.8m teu in 2023, data shows.

Since February, Salalah has been a key hub for the Indian services jointly operated by Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd as the Gemini Cooperation, with increasing weekly calls, including by ultra-large container vessels (ULCVs), dramatically.

To keep ahead of the anticipated growth, APMT, in collaboration with local partner Salalah Port Services, last year embarked on a $300m equipment upgrade, involving the installation of 10 new ship-to-shore cranes, a dozen hybrid rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes, and several other assets.

“Our investment underscores our deep commitment to Oman and the region,” said port CEO Steven Yoogalingam. “The new capabilities ensure a smooth and seamless operation from [the] port of Salalah and provide opportunities for local and regional growth and job creation – also with the close link to the Gemini-cooperation.”

Thanks to those upgrades, Salalah is said to have added a further 2m teu capacity, climbing from 4.5m teu to 6.5m annually.

Gemini’s Indian services, with Salalah as a hub, include the ME1 and ME11, rotating Jebel Ali-Mundra-Nhava Sheva-Salalah-Port Tangier-Rotterdam-Hamburg-London Gateway; and Jebel Ali-Mundra-Nhava Sheva-Salalah-Port Tangier-Valencia-Port Said, respectively.

Maersk has deployed ULCVs into many of its Gemini loops, as more newbuilds joined its fleet, including the 15,000 teu Angelica Maersk, now part of the ME11.

Additionally, several mainliners and feeder lines serving Pakistan trades have added calls or opened shuttle services out of Salalah for cargo transhipment, following port restrictions imposed by the Indian government in the aftermath of recent military tensions between the two countries.

From a broader industry perspective, Gemini has also heated up port competition in the Middle East, with Jeddah another key port in its network.

Saudi Port Authority (Mawani) recently commented: Jeddah Islamic Port has been selected as the centre of the Gemini Cooperation, reinforcing the role of Saudi ports as leading logistics hubs connecting three continents, enhancing cargo handling efficiency, boosting trade activity, and fostering economic growth.”