Oman’s Ministry of Finance has announced that 5 bidders are in the race for Oman’s US$650m truck road construction project. 

A 67km tolled road, designed for transporting minerals via heavy vehicles, is set to be developed through a public-private partnership worth up to US$650 million. Following a request for quotations, the Ministry received responses from 33 bidders, with French companies Vinci Highways and Bouygues Travaux Public, Austria's Strabag, China Communications, and Plenary Middle East from the UAE qualifying for consideration. This road project will connect the small town of Thumrait to the port city of Salalah, which serves as the capital of Dhofar province. Currently, these two locations are linked by an 85km dual carriageway that traverses the challenging terrain of the Dhofar mountains, featuring steep gradients and hairpin bends that are ill-suited to accommodate the increasing traffic of heavy vehicles serving local mines, quarries, and farms.