The industrial Port of Sohar is a deep sea port and has grown tremendously in size and importance in only eight years since its start in 2003. The port received the first vessel in April 2004. Last year the Port of Sohar handled more than 2200 ship movements and the number is still growing.

 

At this stage the need of a professional linesmen service was evident and a detailed tender process took place. One of the most important criteria was the high Omanisation level and Al Batinah International linesmen and cleaning services was awarded the contract in December 2010.

A linesman is responsible for the mooring and unmooring of all seagoing vessels. In cooperation with the crew they bring the ropes or wires from the ship ashore to their colleagues waiting on the quay to put them on the shore bollards.

 

Through Al Batinah International linesmen and cleaning services the Port of Sohar is served by 30 Omani linesmen, a mooring boat, special communication equipment etc.

 

To ensure that all the Omani linesmen are trained according to the best international practices, the Sohar Industrial Port Company SAOC (SIPC) offered a one month training program in the Netherlands with the Royal Dutch Linesmen Association at their own expenses.

Once completed at the end of March this year the linesmen will receive a certificate which enables them to moor and unmoor the biggest vessels in the world that the Port of Sohar will receive at the new jetty as one of the very few ports in the world.