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Port guide

Ship chandlers in Oman:
Sohar, Muscat, Salalah and Duqm

Oman's ports all sit outside the Strait of Hormuz, so in 2026 more ships came their way. This guide covers each port, the rules suppliers follow, and VAT.

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By the Chandler team at IF Solutions · Updated 20 October 2026 · 7 min read

In short: Oman's main ports for ship supply are Sohar, Muscat (Port Sultan Qaboos), Salalah and Duqm, and all four sit outside the Strait of Hormuz. Muscat has been mainly a cruise port since commercial cargo moved to Sohar in 2014. Sohar handled 72 million tonnes and 3,427 ship calls in 2025, and Salalah 4.3 million TEU. Oman's VAT is 5%, and the VAT law zero-rates commercial ships and goods and services related to transport, within conditions set in the regulations.

Oman's ports at a glance

PortWhat to know
SoharOn the Gulf of Oman, run by Sohar Industrial Port Company, a 50/50 joint venture between the Port of Rotterdam and Oman (Asyad). 72 million tonnes and 3,427 ship calls in 2025. First half of 2026: 52 million tonnes, up 52%, and 545,000 TEU, up 40%. Containers, bulk, breakbulk, liquids and large ship-to-ship volumes, next to the Sohar Freezone
Muscat (Port Sultan Qaboos)Commercial cargo moved to Sohar from 1 September 2014. A few bulk cargoes and naval ships still call. Run by Asyad Ports as a cruise and tourism port since 2018. O Bunkering agreed in May 2025 to offer bunkering here
SalalahOn the Arabian Sea in the south, run by Salalah Port Services Company. 4.3 million TEU in 2025, up 31%, and a record 26.4 million tonnes through its general cargo terminal
DuqmOn the Arabian Sea, run by a 50/50 joint venture of Asyad and Consortium Antwerp Port, inside the Duqm special economic zone. Asyad Drydock next door has two graving docks for ships up to 600,000 DWT

Each port is a different job for a chandler. Sohar means transshipment and ship-to-ship calls, Muscat means cruise ships, Salalah means container lines, and Duqm means ships in for repair.

Oman in 2026

With the Strait of Hormuz largely closed from March 2026, Oman's ports, all outside the strait, were pitched to shipping lines as a way round it. Sohar's first-half volumes jumped. The ports were hit too:

  • Drones struck fuel storage at Salalah on 11 March, and port operations were suspended.
  • On 28 March two more drones hit Salalah. They damaged a container crane and injured a worker, and operations stopped again.
  • On 4 March Maersk stopped taking new bookings to and from Oman, except Salalah.

Check the latest security notices with the ship's agent before every delivery.

Rules a ship supplier works to

  • The agent and the navigation licence. Since February 2026 (Ministerial Decision 30/2026), foreign ships carrying out activities in Oman's territorial sea need a navigation licence, filed by the ship's agent at least three days before entry. Ships calling a port only to load or unload are exempt. The agent also registers the ship in the Royal Oman Police customs system.
  • Bunkering is licensed. Under Oman's bunkering regulation (Ministerial Decision 31/2020), ships may only be bunkered at a port berth or the anchorage area, and only by a licensed supplier.
  • Customs. Oman applies the GCC Common Customs Law, run by the Directorate General of Customs of the Royal Oman Police. Your agent will tell you what paperwork each delivery needs.
  • Free zones. Sohar, Salalah and Duqm each have a free zone, where goods can be held outside Omani customs territory until they are shipped.

VAT on ship supplies in Oman

Oman's VAT rate is 5% (VAT Law, Royal Decree 121/2020, Article 36). Article 51(5) zero-rates "the supply of air, sea and land means of transport that are designated for the transportation of passengers and Goods for commercial purposes and the supply of Goods and Services related to transport", within the limits and conditions set by the Executive Regulations.

That does not mean every ship store is automatically zero-rated. Check the conditions for your supplies with the Oman Tax Authority or a tax adviser.

How to find a ship chandler in Oman

  • ISSA listed four member companies in Oman in October 2026, all in Muscat. There is no Omani ship suppliers association in ISSA's list of national associations.
  • Your agent, who files the navigation licence and works with local suppliers at each port.
  • Marketplaces such as ShipServ, which lists suppliers for Sohar and Muscat, including UAE-based chandlers that cover Oman.

For ship chandlers in Oman

Busier ports and sudden schedule changes reward suppliers who move fast. Owners want a quote the same day, the right paperwork, and a delivery that turns up when the ship does.

Chandler keeps the whole order in one system. AI reads the requisition from an email, PDF, Excel file or photo. Suppliers price items through a link, and your margin formulas build the quote for approval. The same order then holds the supplier POs, goods received, packing, the delivery with handover photos, returns and the invoice, in OMR, USD or any other currency. See pricing, or book a demo below with one of your own inquiries.

Sources

Checked 20 October 2026.

  1. Oman Observer: Sohar Port in 2025 (21 Jan 2026)
  2. MarineLink: Sohar first half of 2026 (19 Aug 2026)
  3. IAPH: Sohar port details
  4. Asyad: Port Sultan Qaboos
  5. Ship & Bunker: O Bunkering at Port Sultan Qaboos (2 May 2025)
  6. Salalah Port: 2025 results
  7. Asyad Drydock
  8. Oman Observer: Omani ports as alternative hubs (9 Mar 2026)
  9. Ship & Bunker: drone attack on fuel storage at Salalah
  10. Maritime Executive: Salalah operations suspended after drone strike
  11. Ministerial Decision 30/2026 (navigation licence)
  12. Muscat Daily: new permit regime for foreign ships (1 Feb 2026)
  13. Ministerial Decision 31/2020 (bunkering regulation)
  14. Oman VAT Law, Royal Decree 121/2020 (English translation)
  15. ISSA: members in Oman
  16. ISSA: national associations
  17. Argus: Salalah halts operations after drone attack (12 Mar 2026)
  18. Free Malaysia Today: Maersk suspends Gulf bookings (5 Mar 2026)
  19. Emerhub: free zones in Oman
  20. ShipServ: suppliers at Sohar
  21. ShipServ: suppliers at Muscat
FAQ

Ship chandlers in Oman: Common questions

Last updated 20 October 2026

Which Omani ports are outside the Strait of Hormuz?

All of the main ones. Sohar and Muscat are on the Gulf of Oman, and Salalah and Duqm are on the Arabian Sea.

Is Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat still a cargo port?

Mostly not. Commercial cargo moved to Sohar from 1 September 2014, though a few bulk cargoes and naval ships still call. Asyad Ports has run it as a cruise and tourism port since 2018.

Is VAT charged on ship supplies in Oman?

Oman's VAT rate is 5%. The VAT law zero-rates commercial sea transport and related goods and services, but only within conditions set by the Executive Regulations, so check how they apply to your supplies.

Do ships need an agent in Oman?

Since February 2026, foreign ships carrying out activities in Oman's territorial sea need a navigation licence filed by their agent at least three days before entry. Ships calling a port only to load or unload are exempt.

Were Omani ports affected by the 2026 war?

Yes. Drones hit Salalah several times in March 2026, and the port stopped work after the strikes on 11 and 28 March. Oman's ports were also pitched as a way round Hormuz, and Sohar's first-half volumes rose sharply.

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