Leading civil and architectural engineering services firm KEO International Consultants has won a contract to provide consultancy services to the Special Economic Zone Authority of Duqm (Sezad) on the development of a pair of major industrial zones within the SEZ, said a report.

KEO will provide advisory services to the authority in the development of the northern and central industrial zones for two massive parcels of real estate that encompass a chunk of the SEZ, said the Oman Daily Observer report.

Covering an area of 221.75 sq km, the areas have been earmarked for development in the early phases of the SEZ, which is evolving into one of the world’s largest industrial and logistics hubs.

The consultant will carry out the planning, feasibility study, and design of these industrial zones, besides preparing the final detailed design for the development of these areas.

The actual development of these zones will be undertaken by a new subsidiary planned by Port of Duqm Company (PDC) in line with its enlarged mandate that was formalised in March.

The proposed subsidiary, Duqm Industrial Land Company (DILC), is envisaged as a partnership of the Port of Duqm Company (51 per cent) and a number of shareholders comprising pension funds and
other entities that together hold the remaining 49 per cent of the equity, said the report.