Doha: Coinciding with the two-day visit of H M Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of the Sultanate of Oman to Qatar, Karwa Motors, Oman's first bus company, has rolled out its first Karwa-branded bus bearing the ‘Made in the Sultanate of Oman’ called ‘Salam’.
Karwa Motors is a joint venture between Mowasalat Qatar, the state-owned transport company of Qatar, and Oman Investment Authority, Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, said Times of Oman.
In its first phase, the project aims to produce 500 buses annually from their facility at Duqm Special Economic Zone.
The two parties are investing about $90 million in the first phase of the project, which has the potential to become an active hub for the bus industry in Duqm in the long term.
The factory was designed to produce buses to include civilian buses and school buses intended to meet the needs of the local and regional market.
The first phase of operations at the Karwa Motors facility will focus on manufacturing buses for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha next year.
Commenting on the roll out of the first-ever Karwa-branded bus, Hisham Ahmed al Sheedi, acting director of Economic Diversification Investments, said, “The Karwa facility represents one of the most important strategic projects between Oman and Qatar. The two countries continue to seek potential investment opportunities across several vital and promising sectors, underlining the strong ties between them and the shared interests that have been addressed regularly by both governments and people.
Commenting on the new facility, Dr Ibrahim al Balushi, chief executive officer of Karwa Motors, said, “Located on a 600,000sqm site, the manufacturing facility is outfitted with the latest in technology. It also houses several key sections, including a large warehouse to store raw material, core workshops for cutting and welding, dyeing, and equipment and motor assembly, a full-fledged inspection yard and testing facility, and a vast number of other auxiliary facilities. Our factory will also create job opportunities for Omanis, whether they are regular jobseekers or have experience in the automotive field.
“The first phase of ramp-up will be focused on producing the first of three Karwa-branded buses – Salam – which will be used at the FIFA World Cup 2022. These buses are extremely advanced and can handle a variety of road conditions, as well as withstand the harshest weather conditions. Next year, we will introduce the Intercity Coach and the City Bus with an annual production of 500 to 700 buses. Additionally, we have a strategic partnership in place with Higer, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of buses.”
