Sultanate of Oman

Development of Part of Road 32 in the Special Economic Zone of Duqm
Loan No: 646 Interest Rate: 2.5 %
Beneficiary: Special Economic Zone Authority Duqm Grace Period: 5 years
Project Cost: KD 116.0 million Maturity: 30 years
Amount of Loan: KD 52.0 million Repayment: 51 semi-annual installments
Date of Board Approval: - First Installment: 5 years following the first disbursement
Date of Loan Agreement: 2017-07-12 Date of Loan Effectiveness: 2017-03-10

Objectives:

The project aims at improving and developing land transportation services within the boundaries of the special economic zone of Duqm, and accommodating increasing traffic which will result from connecting the main projects in this zone, most notably the commercial port, the refinery, Duqm airport, and the areas allocated for heavy, medium and light manufacturing, in addition to being part of national road 32, which links north Ash-Sharqiyah governorate with Al Wusta governorate and the other governorates of the Sultanate. The project will contribute to the movement of goods between future investment projects in the zone and the other parts of the Sultanate.

Description:

The project, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021, includes the development of the part of road 32 which lies within the economic zone of Duqm. The construction of the road, which has a total length of about 30 km, was divided into two phases. The first phase consists of the construction of the southern part of the road, which has a length of about 16.2 km, a width of about 120 m, and three-lane dual carriageways, with a total width of about 11.2 m each way, separated by a median with shoulders on both sides, in addition to two-lane service roads on each side of the main road with a total length of about 23 km and a width of about 7.3 m. This phase consists of the construction of several concrete bridges over Wadi Dungart, and both Wadi Say and Wadi Al Jarf. The second phase consists of the construction of the northern part of the road, which has a length of about 13.8 km, and is planned to have the same specifications and dimensions as the southern part of the road. This phase is expected to be executed over the period 2018 – 2021. The project consists of the following main components:

  1. Civil Works:This includes preparatory works, removal of the existing road, earthworks, asphalt paving, structural bridges works, and complementary works necessary for the road, such as road embankment, water drainage facilities, road lighting, traffic safety, landscaping, ground services and channel ducts for future services.
  2. Consultancy Services:This includes the consultancy services necessary for the preparation of studies, specifications, designs, detailed plans and bid documents, assistance in bid analysis and works supervision.

Financing:

The Arab Fund’s loan covers about 45% of the total project cost. The Omani government will cover the remaining cost of the project and any additional cost that may arise.