Muscat Offshore Terminal (Port)

Latest news

Royal Navy of Oman rescues boom ship from Somali pirates

Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) vessel Musandam has rescued Indian boom ship Tiba-2 Halima and its 11-member crew from Somali pirates off Ras Al Hadd. According to the Ministry of Defence, Tiba-2 Halima, carrying 4,000 goats, was hijacked by 12 Somali pirates on September 1. The pirates were planning to use the vessel as a mother ship to launch attacks on ships. After receiving a tip-off, RNO vessel Musandam sailed to the area. Efforts by the navy men to negotiate with the pirates to free the boom ship and the hostages failed as the pirates used the hostages as human shields. Thereafter, the naval vessel fired at the boom ship to incapacitate the hijacked vessel. The pirates immediately surrendered. The RNO vessel later gave first aid to the injured and shifted them to Sur referral hospital. The pirates were handed over to the Coast Guard of Royal Oman Police. Source: http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=100158&heading=Other%20Top%20Stories

Omani port of Muscat may become anti-piracy security hub

Omani port of Muscat is becoming a key hub for the private maritime security market as merchant shipping firms look for ways to combat the pirate scourge that threatens approximately 70,000 ship movements every year through the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. The Somali-based pirates have moved further eastwards in search of victims as international naval forces organised safe corridors of transit along the East African coastline and Gulf of Aden. Oman now finds itself on the front line in this modern re-enactment of an ancient mariners' problem, as newly formed private security firms begin to base themselves in ports adjoining the Indian Ocean. One such firm, Protection Vessels International (PVI), initially based themselves in Salalah, before moving to Muscat as the scope of the challenge has increased every year.