The General Authority for Ports (Mawani) in Saudi Arabia announced, in a statement today, Tuesday, the laying of the foundation stone for the contract projects for the development and operation of the two container terminals at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. The assignment to the Saudi International Ports Company “SGP” with an investment value exceeding 7 billion riyals, according to the (BOT) formula.
This comes within the framework of achieving “Mawani” its strategy to enable growth drawn by the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, and its initiatives to raise the efficiency of ports and develop infrastructure; With the aim of developing a sustainable and prosperous maritime transport system that supports social and economic aspirations, and consolidates the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics center and a hub for meeting three continents, in line with the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services.
The new projects include developing works for the two container terminals at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam; Among them are the development of the berths and their infrastructure, and the facilities of the first container terminal, as well as the expansion of the berths and the development of the container yard associated with the second container terminal in order to accommodate and handle giant ships with a large capacity, in addition to the establishment of an area dedicated to experimenting with modern equipment and technologies before the practical application of the “Sandbox” on 3 hectares using the latest technology; which will enhance the future readiness and operational efficiency of the port.
The projects of the outsourcing contract at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam contribute to raising the capacity of container terminals by more than 120%, to reach 7.5 million containers, and providing more than 4,000 jobs. This supports the efforts of “Mawani” to enhance the port sector and logistics services and raise the reliability of supply chains, in addition to enhancing the movement of national imports and exports, as well as raising the Kingdom’s classification in international indicators.
Ports is working to attract more investment opportunities as part of its development plan by launching more than 160 projects over the coming years with a budget exceeding 4 billion riyals, including 11 pioneering projects aimed at improving the status of Saudi ports in the field of global maritime transport and shipping.
It is noteworthy that King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, represented by the operator of the two container terminals, the Saudi International Ports Company, achieved a remarkable achievement during the year 2022 AD, by handling more than two million standard containers, as the highest number in its history in one year. This enhances its position and confirms its operational and logistical capacity to handle various types and sizes of containers and goods.
