Mawani kicks-off $1.86bn upgrade at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam
Apart from generating over 4,000 local jobs, the project is expected to raise the port’s overall capacity by 120% to 7.5m TEUs
The foundation stone for the upgrade and development of two container terminals at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam has been laid by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani). The $1.86bn project is being undertaken in cooperation with Saudi Global Ports (SGP) under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
The project takes Mawani a step closer to realising its Saudi Vision 2030 inspired roadmap. It is said to be centered around optimising port operations and modernising infrastructure to build a booming and sustainable maritime ecosystem, while fulfilling the aspirations of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to position the Kingdom as a global logistics destination connecting three continents.
Omar Hariri, President of Mawani and Eng. Abdullah Al-Zamil, SGP Chairman along with other senior logistics and maritime executives attended the launch ceremony.
In mid April 2020, Mawani signed a $1.8bn BOT contract to develop Dammam port.
The project will see the refurbishment of berths and facilities across the port’s first container terminal, in addition to expanding berths and overhauling the container yard within the second terminal. The upgrades will enable the port to handle giant container-ships, Mawani noted.
The project will also add a custom-built sandbox to test cutting-edge technologies and conceptualise new processes before going online.
Apart from generating over 4,000 local jobs, the project is expected to raise the port’s overall capacity by 120% to 7.5m TEUs, and strengthen the nation’s supply chains, boost its foreign trade, and improve the Kingdom’s rank in global indices.
In mid November 2021, Mawani signed an agreement to build a new cruise terminal at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam.
As part of its long-term strategy to deploy 160 high-impact development projects at a total cost of over $1bn, Mawani said it is keen on partnering with leading industry entities to transform the Kingdom’s ports into engines of growth and investment in the shipping and transportation sectors.
2022 is said to have been a milestone year for King Abdulaziz Port and operator SGP. The year is said to have seen record-breaking annual performances across various indicators including the port’s highest container throughput in its history at over two million TEUs.
In late May 2022, GE Mena Decarbonisation Centre of Excellence (COE) opened in Dammam.
