Amid Red Sea crisis, India gets a specific zone in Duqm Port

NEW DELHI : Oman has allotted a specific zone to India in the strategically located Port of Duqm, less than two months after the visit of Sultan Haitham bin Tariq to New Delhi, a development that will help enhance India’s role in the western and southern Indian Ocean region.

The move will augment the Indian Navy’s role as a net security provider amid the ongoing crisis in the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean region. The port provides a logistical base for India in the field of maritime cooperation. It will also enhance India’s role as a first responder in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, said people familiar with the matter.

The development will add significantly to India’s growing footprint in the region where the Indian Navy plays a key role in anti-piracy operations. Over the past few months, the navy has also assisted several vessels being hit by Houthis from Yemen.

The port is easily accessible to the shipping lines catering to Indian as well as African markets. Access to the port holds a strategic benefit for India as it overlooks the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. It is located in the Al Wusta governorate of Oman. Integrated into the special economic zone at Duqm and located 550 km south of capital Muscat, it is equipped with a ship repair yard and dry dock facility.