Phillippe Leopold Louis Marie, King of the Belgians and his spouse Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d’Udekem d’Acoz, Queen of the Belgians went on helicopter tour of the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD) and the location allocated to develop large-scale green hydrogen production.

The Monarchs also viewed presentations on the Port of Duqm and the Special Economic Zone at Duqm, delivered by Eng. Ali Masoud Al Sunaidi, Chairman of the Public Authority for Economic Zones and Free Zones (OPAZ).

Al Sunaidi highlighted the Port of Duqm and the most important projects connected with the port. He also reviewed the future projects to be executed in Duqm in the areas of mining, industry and livestock, in addition to the incentives offered for investors.

On her turn, Sophie Willems, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Oman and Belgium are friends and partners, affirming that the two countries share a common understanding of the present challenges and believe on the importance of developing

partnerships, to nurture openness and foster dialogue.

She added, “At the economic level, this relation translates into concrete collaborations in some key areas

in industrial production, in construction, or as we see

today, in green energy, maritime transportation and logistics. The importance of the project that we are launching here today goes beyond the maritime sector. Indeed, the development of Hyport, will become a key piece of the development of the green hydrogen sector. It will contribute to the transition towards greener energy and a greener industry, both in Oman and in Belgium”.

After that, the King and the Queen of the Belgians went on sea tour of the Port of Duqm. They viewed facilities of the port, including the dry dock, the commercial berth and the government berth, as well as the liquid and bulk materials berth (oil berth).