Duqm and the Naval Dockyard – Sustainment at Reach Encouraging new talent into Engineering


A skilled and experienced workforce offers close customer support


To meet this growing requirement for sustainment at reach by maritime forces, a Joint Venture company was formed in November 2016 between the Oman Drydock Company (ODC) and Babcock International Group, the signature for which was witnessed at ministerial level by the UK Government. The name of the joint venture company is the Duqm Naval Dockyard (DND) and having recently been incorporated as a registered company in the Sultanate, it now stands ready to support the repair and maintenance of major navies, as well as to the Royal Navy of Oman. DND combines the well‐practised commercial ship repair resources and skills of the circa 2,000 personnel of ODC, and the complimentary skillsets of Babcock, with 30 years of complex warship repair and build behind it.


set to increase exponentially as the container port, fuel transfer jetty and bulk jetty come on‐line progressively in the next few years.


And as the commercial port of Duqm has grown, so its military potential as a sustainment at reach, repair and maintenance hub for warships has also been increasingly recognised. The US Navy and the Royal Navy in particular, acknowledge the key geostrategic advantages of Duqm. Two brand new and massive graving docks (410 x 85/95m) are at the heart of the ship repair facility, whilst engineering workshops, warehousing, extensive craneage, spares manufacturing and a comprehensive supply chain system underpin the drydocks. But for maritime forces, Duqm’s location is also safe, secure, and, crucially, outside the Straits of Hormuz chokepoint. Being proximate to, but not inside, the Gulf of Arabia brings with it flexibility, choice, and freedom of manoeuvre for navies operating in the region. With Oman considered to be one of the most stable states in the Middle East, Duqm’s secure location is attracting significant interest and investment. The port is now seen, at the very least, as a viable alternative to the more established ports inside the Gulf itself.


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Several navies have already used the DND facilities and others are expressing active interest with one in particular now planning to use Duqm as a major repair and logistics facility, not just for maritime forces, but also for Joint operations and exercises too. Of note, the recent departure of HMS Queen Elizabeth for a prolonged period of sea and air group trials is the start of a process that will, in the next few years, see the vessel and its attendant escorts and auxiliaries operating at reach, including in the Indian Ocean. DND and Duqm port will no doubt play an important part in sustaining such Task Group‐level deployments. So this year marks the beginning of an exciting journey that will see Duqm playing a key role in maritime operations in the Middle East and beyond.


David Heley


Head of Business Development, Duqm Naval Dockyard Babcock International Group


Members of the Society of Maritime Industries (SMI) Society of Maritime Industries Annual Review 2017


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