Gulf states must ease gridlock

Most of the Gulf's major cities grew up around ports, and marine trade has always been pivotal to the regional economy.

However, the population surge of recent decades and the boom in construction and real estate means that central harbours are now hemmed in by the cities they were built to serve. Muscat's decision to redevelop its Sultan Qaboos Port as a tourist facility in the middle of the capital is the only sensible course in the long term.

Oman is not alone in finding that the strain placed on local roads is rapidly making city-centre commercial ports unfeasible. Most of the region's major ports are struggling with congestion, and those trapped within a conurbation are suffering the most. Queues of lorries in and out of the site add to the time it takes vessels to load and unload, and can bring large sections of the city to gridlock during peak hours.

In some cities, such as Jeddah, the problem has become so bad that a new masterplan for the city's roads network has been called for before the life of the port itself is threatened. Others such as Doha have followed Dubai's example and moved to larger facilities well outside the city where the port has room to grow almost indefinitely.

Oman's ports sector is flourishing, with facilities expanding at Duqm, Sohar, Shinas and Salalah, but the government must assess whether these facilities have the capacity to take over from Sultan Qaboos and serve the capital. The transition must be well handled.

Sultan Qaboos is fast reaching the end of its shelf life as a commercial port. Its conversion will enhance the city and the local environment, and attract new business. Oman's efforts to boost the tourist credentials of its capital will be better served by roads that are not clogged with industrial traffic.