The Hamburg-based container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has further expanded its presence in the Middle East and opened a new office in Muscat.
The branch is intended to offer customers in the Gulf region more direct access to the shipping company’s services and strengthen regional market support.
With a population of around 5.57 million, Oman is one of the region’s dynamically growing economies. International financial institutions expect real GDP growth of between 2.3 % and 3.1 % in 2025. This is based on diversification measures as part of the national “Vision 2040”, through which other sectors such as logistics, manufacturing, tourism, renewable energies, mining and fishing are becoming increasingly important alongside oil and gas.
Due to its location on the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman, the country acts as a logistics hub. Hapag-Lloyd is already represented with weekly connections via Sohar and transshipment activities in Salalah. The Omani ports handled more than 4 million TEU in 2024. On the export side, petrochemical products, crude oil, natural gas, metals, aluminum and seafood dominate, while machinery, consumer goods, transport equipment and mineral raw materials play a central role on the import side.
“The opening of our new office in Muscat is an important step towards strengthening our presence in the Middle East,” emphasized Lars Sorensen, Senior Managing Director Region Middle East. Oman offers a combination of strategic location, modern infrastructure and a future-oriented economy. With its own local team, the shipping company can deepen its customer relationships and further strengthen the country’s role as a regional hub.
