Duqm was a small fishing settlement on the coast of southern Oman, populated by the Janubah tribe. In February 1954, a party of soldiers of the Muscat and Oman Field Force and geologists of Petroleum Development Oman landed to begin oil exploration in central Oman.

Although Duqm was a fishing village until recently, in 2011 the Omani government launched plans to transform the town into an industrial hub and port city. During the 2010s Duqm grew at a breakneck pace; one resident said in 2018 that "five years ago there was nothing here."

Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD)

Duqm Fishing Port, located in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm (SEZAD), is the largest multi-purpose fishing port in the Sultanate of Oman, with an area of 600 hectares and a depth of 10 meters. Construction was completed in 2021. The main breakwater is 2.2 km long, the secondary breakwater is 1.1 km long and the total lengths of the jetties are around 1.2 km long.

Duqm Refinery, also located in SEZAD and occupying 900 hectares, is a large oil refinery under construction and expected to be begin commercial operations by the end of 2023.

Omani planners see Duqm as a potential alternative to other Gulf port cities such as Dubai, especially if routes through the Strait of Hormuz were to close.