Sohar is the most developed city in Oman outside the capital Muscat. It is a city by the sea. It is about 200 kilometers north of Muscat, and lies in the Batinah region. Sohar was an ancient capital of Oman and many believe it to be the birthplace of  Sinbad the Sailor.  Having a rich sailing history, Sohar was traditionally a fishing village, but is now known as Oman’s industrial hub due to the massive developments in the port area. Sohar is the fifth most populated city in Oman with a population of 140,006 according to the results of the 2010 census.

Diversification strategy
The Omani government has paid special attention to the city of Sohar, and placed it in the priorities of the future plan of the economy in 2020. The goal of the Omani government is to make Sohar a business and industrial hub and help the Omani economy diversify away from oil. In order for the Omani economy to achieve this economic diversification, the Omani government is investing in a number of projects in the industrial area of Sohar. For example, it is investing more than $5 billion in the steel industry in which Oman aims to be one of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s leading producers. In addition to the steel industry, there is also the industry of aluminium in Sohar industrial area. Sohar Aluminium Company was established in 2004 and it is considered one of the leading projects that play a major role in the sultanate’s economic diversification strategy.

For more information check out the website www.soharportandfreezone.com