Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK), an automotive shipping line and logistics provider, has signed a joint venture agreement to operate the first phase of the roll-on/roll-off (RORO) terminal at the King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement was signed between NYK and the Ports Development Company (PDC), the owner of the King Abdullah Port, to better serve the growing number of automotive firms in the King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).
The first phase of the new terminal, which will handle RORO cargo, will be operational by the third quarter of next year, according to a company statement.
The RORO terminal “will significantly diversify the services offered by King Abdullah Port, extending them beyond containerised goods, and will be an integral part of the facilities and services offered in addition to containers and bulk and general cargo,” said Saleh Bin Laden, PDC Chairman.
The automotive sector at KAEC is comprised of many local and international players such as Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ), Naghi Group, Juffali Automotive Company, and Al Zahid Group, which in June announced the production of the first Volvo truck from its assembly line in KAEC.
The King Abdullah Port is the Kingdom’s first port being fully developed by the private sector. It is owned and operated by PDC, a joint venture between Huta Marine Works Ltd and Emaar, the Economic City (EEC), the master developer of KAEC.