As has been the case over the past few months, Japanese owners continue to provide a steady flow of tonnage to the market. 

This time, it is Oman’s Asyad Shipping stepping up as the buyer of choice in the larger size segment, deploying some of the $333m it raised through its initial public offering on the Muscat Stock Exchange in March. Market sources tell Splash that the state-backed outfit is behind the purchase of the 12-year-old Wakayama Maru (181,501 dwt), a Koyo Dockyard-built capesize sold by Santoku Senpaku. Brokers have attached various price tags to the deal, with reports ranging from $33.5m to $38m, while VesselsValue places the market value at $35.15m. 

For comparison, back in March, a pair of 15-year-old, 180,000 dwt Koyo-built units changed hands for around $27m apiece. 

Asyad has already made several headlines this year, not least when it set a new price benchmark in wet by paying $206m en bloc for the 2020-built VLCC sisterships Landbridge Wisdom and Landbridge Glory, constructed at Dalian Shipbuilding. 

Established in 2003, Asyad today controls a diverse fleet spanning tankers, dry bulk carriers, and LNG vessels, reinforcing its status as one of the Middle East’s most ambitious shipping players.