As part of its digital initiative to enhance customer experience, Port of Salalah, recently joined TradeLens, the blockchain-enabled digital shipping platform. TradeLens, which is one of the leading open and neutral supply chain platform has been developed in a collaboration between Maersk and IBM. The TradeLens ecosystem presently comprises of over 100 diverse organizations including carriers, ports, terminal operators, 3PLs, and freight forwarders. Currently, the platform handles 10 Million events and more than 100,000 documents every week.

Port of Salalah which recently handled record yearly volume of 4 Million TEUs is working closely with other entities in the supply chain ecosystem to usher in digital transformation in its day to day operation and sees TradeLens as an important tool that offers a global transparent standard for collaboration. Joining the platform provides SPS and its customers the ability to securely provide end-to-end supply chain information, seamless data sharing and new avenues for collaboration which will result in improved trade flows via the port.

Mark Hardiman, the Chief Executive Officer of Port of Salalah stated “Joining TradeLens is an important step forward for Port of Salalah in supporting the modernizing of the trade ecosystem. Logistics has been identified as one of the key pillars for economic diversification for the Sultanate of Oman. Adopting and incorporating blockchain technology into all aspects of supply chain will not only enhance the attractiveness of Salalah for these companies but also support development of new business models that can further leverage the geographical location of Salalah”

Thomas Sproat, Director of Network Development at Maersk GTD notes “The addition of the Port of Salalah in Oman continues to enhance a strong ecosystem for TradeLens in the Middle East. This ecosystem has the ability to leverage blockchain as one of the major components in spurring further innovation in the region. Integrating data with an important customer such as the port of Salalah is an important milestone for TradeLens and is a stepping stone for collaboration and will open up new ways of working across the supply chain ecosystem to increase efficiencies and visibility for those involved.”

Port of Salalah is operated by APM Terminals as part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network. The port also operates a very active General Cargo Terminal which handled over 16 Million MT of non-containerized cargo last year.