OMAN: Salalah Port Services Company SAOG said the Port of Salalah handled a record 26.4 million metric tonnes of general cargo in 2025, marking a 17% increase from 22.6 million tonnes a year earlier. The port, in southern Oman, said the gain was led by higher volumes through its General Cargo Terminal, which serves dry bulk, breakbulk and liquid bulk trades. The company reported the record alongside a rise in container throughput and stronger full-year financial results.
General cargo growth was driven mainly by dry bulk exports, including gypsum and limestone, the company said. The port’s General Cargo Terminal comprises 13 berths with about 3,000 metres of quay and is designed to handle up to 35 million tonnes of cargo a year, according to port data. The facility has berths with drafts ranging from about 6.8 to 18 metres, supporting a mix of bulk carriers, multipurpose vessels and liquid cargo calls. The port said its mineral export flows remained the main source of uplift.
Container volumes also climbed, with the company reporting 4.3 million TEUs handled in 2025, up from 3.3 million TEUs in 2024. Salalah is a major transshipment point on east-west shipping routes, linking services between Asia, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and East Africa. The port has also been executing a container terminal upgrade and expansion program that includes new cranes, yard works and supporting infrastructure to increase handling capacity and improve operational resilience.
Container terminal upgrade
As part of the investment program, the port previously said it received the first four of 10 new ship-to-shore cranes, with the full crane set intended to raise the number of ship-to-shore cranes at the terminal to 27. The port described the new cranes as fully electric and capable of handling ultra-large container vessels, and said the project includes upgrades to all six container berths and expansion of the yard. Additional equipment planned for the upgrade includes electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes and other container-handling vehicles, alongside power and access works.
The company said its 2025 financial performance strengthened alongside higher volumes. Consolidated revenue from operations rose 28% year on year to 89.4 million Omani rials, while EBITDA increased to 27.8 million rials, lifting the EBITDA margin to 31% from 22% in 2024. Net profit for 2025 increased to 7.3 million rials, compared with 2.3 million rials a year earlier. In 2024, the company reported revenue from operations of about 70 million rials and EBITDA of 15.6 million rials.
Dividend proposal
In a separate disclosure dated Feb. 18, 2026, the company said its board proposed a cash dividend distribution of 15 baiza per share to shareholders for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2025, subject to shareholder approval. The proposed dividend is to be distributed to shareholders whose names appear on the register as of the annual general meeting date of March 15, 2026, the company said. For 2024, the board recommended a dividend of 10 baiza per share, according to its annual report for that year.
Salalah Port Services operates and manages the Port of Salalah’s container and general cargo terminals, and said 2025 results reflected higher cargo flows across both businesses. The company’s update underscored the scale of mineral exports moving through the general cargo terminal and the rebound in container volumes to 4.3 million TEUs. The port said its infrastructure program is advancing alongside increased throughput as it reports record general cargo handling of 26.4 million tonnes for 2025. – By Content Syndication Services.