By Amal Ragab - MUSCAT — Steps are under way to increase the number of filling stations in response to the growing demand and the population growth rate. By the end of 2011, the number of filling stations in the country stood at 437, with 106 of them in the Governorate of Muscat, 112 in Batinah, 65 in Sharqiyah, 49 in Dakhiliyah, 39 in Dhofar, 24 in Dhahirah, 18 in Wusta, 15 in Buraimi and 9 in Musandam.
Last year, 14 filling stations were set up in different parts of the Sultanate and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry seeks to increase the annual number of licences to cope with the economic development of the country and to cater to the population growth. Mustafa bin Ameen bin Qasim, Director of Agencies and Licences, said that the ministry recently began to implement a plan whereby operators of filling stations and petroleum marketing companies could supply fuel to all parts of the Sultanate.

Mustafa said the distance between filling stations should be not less than 5 kms, that an operator should not have more than one station on main road and that all specifications should be respected.