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Oman's Sohar Port and Freezone held a two-day investment roadshow in New Delhi with ASSOCHAM at the Omani Embassy, pitching itself to Indian manufacturers and exporters as a gateway to the Gulf and beyond.
Sohar lies on the Gulf of Oman, outside the Strait of Hormuz, so cargo moving through it avoids the Hormuz chokepoint.
The port and freezone have drawn over US$30 billion in investment and handle more than 72 million tonnes of cargo a year.
The India-Oman CEPA, signed on 18 December 2025, came into force on 1 June 2026; the 238-km Hafeet Rail will link Sohar with the UAE rail network.
The Strait of Hormuz, between Oman's Musandam peninsula and Iran, links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. Sohar sits south-east of it on the Gulf of Oman coast, so ships calling there never transit the strait; Hafeet Rail will run Sohar–Al Buraimi–Al Ain–Abu Dhabi.
Signed 18 December 2025 by Piyush Goyal and Oman's Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef; in force from 1 June 2026. Oman's first bilateral trade pact since its 2009 FTA with the US
GS Paper 2 > India and its neighbourhood / West Asia; Prelims map-based
Geography > Straits and ports in news
A narrow sea passage whose closure disrupts large trade volumes, e.g. Hormuz, Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb
Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement — covers goods, services and investment
Special area with customs and tax incentives for manufacturing and trade