Kuwait’s KEO International Consultants has been awarded the contract to provide consultancy services for the project to develop part of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at the port town of Duqm on the eastern coast of Oman.

KEO had submitted the low bid of RO1.8m ($4.7m) in April for the consultancy deal. The consultant will provide a feasibility study, planning and other design services for the Northern and Central Industrial Zones at the Duqm industrial development. KEO will also provide the final detailed designs for the areas, which will cover a total area of about 221.75 sq km.

Duqm SEZ has a total land area of 1,777 sq km and an 80km coastline. The development of SEZ is scheduled to be completed over three phases until 2025.

In May 2013, Singapore’s Sembcorp Utilities, a subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries, formed a joint venture with Oman’s Takamul Investment Company (Takamul) to build utility facilities for the Duqm Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The joint venture company, called Centralised Utilities Company (CUC), will provide centralised utilities such as power, steam, water, sewage treatment and logistics facilities.

The Special Economic Zone Authority at Duqm (Sezad) is also developing Duqm airport to turn the eastern town into a major trade and transport hub.

In May, Sezad received bids for the contract to build phase 3 of the Duqm airport scheme, which includes passenger and cargo terminals, air traffic control complex and related support facility buildings at the new Duqm airport, which began early operations in May 2014.