Amidst Conflict in the Gulf, Oman's Duqm Drydock Sees Business Boom

The Asyad Group’s Drydock subsidiary, which operates a substantial facility within the inner harbor at Duqm in Oman, has seen a massive expansion of its workload during the first eight months of 2026. The increase is likely attributable to the inability of regional clients to access ship repair within the Gulf, given the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – but also to the increasing range of services that the Asyad Drydock is now able to offer.

The drydocks attracted 56 new international clients, adding to a client base of 900 existing customers, and had completed 119 ship repair and maintenance projects over the eight-month period. By comparison, 230 projects were completed over the 24 months of 2024 and 2025, thus reflecting a 55% increase in workload so far this year. The yard has also expanded into shipbuilding and has two projects underway for undisclosed customers.

The addition of a floating dock (supplementing the existing dry dock) has meant that 13 ships could be drydocked during the period, in comparison to two projects undertaken over the same period last year. To deal with demand for its services, the facility had started to moor ships side-by-side for maintenance projects, enabling the yard to increase throughput and complete simultaneous projects.

The additional work has had the beneficial effect of increasing workforce skills and experience. There is now an expanding local supply chain network, which has grown as the commercial opportunities have developed, and the value of work let to local sub-contractors and suppliers reached $32.5 million during the eight month period. This type of work is particularly important for expanding the manufacturing segment of the non-oil related segment of Oman’s GDP activity, a key target in Oman’s broader economic reforms.