The Port of Salalah has climbed four positions from sixth place in the Container Ports Performance Index (CPPI) 2020 to second place globally in the CPPI 2021 report published by the World Bank-S&P Global Market Intelligence. It also achieved the #1 spot in the throughput category of large ports (above 4million TEUS)

In its analysis to determine the top 100 best performing container ports in the world, the World Bank-S&P Global Market Intelligence, performance time stamp data was captured for 164,500 port calls involving 257.4 million container moves at 826 container terminals in 443 ports worldwide, narrowing down to 371 ports based on data availability.

Record volumes in 2021

Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing global pandemic, the Port of Salalah not only finished 2021 with record breaking container volume of 4.5million TEUs – breaking its past year’s record – but also achieved world class efficiency.

The Port of Salalah’s geographical advantage coupled with its growing connectivity as well as its world class operations gives its customers an unparalleled competitive edge in a very competitive region. Salalah’s status as a transhipment hub is also important for the growth of the local economy in Dhofar, as the importers and exporters benefit from the best-in-class connectivity the port offers to trade their products globally. Having a highly efficient port also improves local business confidence and will therefore attract further investment including foreign direct investment (FDI).

The Port of Salalah has attributed this success and recognition to the commitment and continuous improvement mindset of the team, support from its customers, prompt services of the various authorities including the Marine Services, ROP Customs and the Ministry of Health Authorities.

Getting goods to consumers on time

“Receiving this ranking is very significant and a great achievement as it’s a measure and acknowledgement of how efficiently we handle our customers ships without delays,” commented Mark Hardiman, CEO of Port of Salalah. “This is vital for a hub port as we play a key role in the global supply chain by keeping cargo flowing smoothly. Being efficient means that schedules are protected and that goods are ultimately getting to end consumers on time. In this regard, I would like to thank the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, APMT and ASYAD Group for their support, which helped us achieve this success.”

“I’m happy to see the strong efforts of the Port of Salalah team being recognized,” commented Scott Selman, COO of Port of Salalah. “This is the culmination of a four-year transformation using lean tools through our Way of Working to safely drive efficiency for our customers.  The results of which have been an approximate 20% increase in productivity, a 50% reduction in customer idle time and an NPS increase of 16% (Net Promoter Score is a measure of Customer Satisfaction).  Though we have seen significant progress, the journey continues as we commit to invest in our people, technology, and process improvement to deliver for our customers in this competitive space.”