Oman plans to build a new passenger terminal at Suhar Airport and expand flights to regional destinations as it seeks to strengthen air connectivity from the country’s northern industrial hub, Said bin Hamoud Al Maawali, Minister of Transport,  Communications and Information Technology, said.

Al Maawali said the planned terminal would support an expansion of regional services from Suhar, providing passengers with more direct travel options without having to fly through Muscat.

New routes are expected to be announced before the end of the year, with Dammam in Saudi Arabia, Gwadar in Pakistan and destinations in southern Iran among those under consideration, the minister said.

The expansion would strengthen Suhar Airport’s role in Oman’s aviation network and improve connectivity for the northern part of the country. Sohar is also one of Oman’s main industrial and logistics centres.

Al Maawali separately addressed delays to the Thumrait Salalah road project, saying the government had initially offered the scheme as an investment opportunity.

However, conditions attached to bids submitted by potential investors led authorities to change course and proceed with the project through a conventional government tender, he said.

The minister said the initial investment model and subsequent shift in the procurement approach had contributed to delays in moving the road project forward.

Source: Gulf News