A tender to augment facilities at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain has been delayed owing to some 'refining and modifications' in the design of certain buildings, including the car park area, said a senior official.

General Organisation of Seaports (GOP) director-general Hassan Al Majed said, 'This process will take another month and the tender for the project is now expected to be issued in December.'

The tender was earlier expected to close in September and was due to be awarded this month,  he added.

The new facilities will include a 4,000 vehicle parking area, a number of warehouses, two office buildings and other utilities like petrol stations and banks.

'We needed to carry out some refinements to the design, particularly the car park area and the tender will be awarded after that,' he said.

'It is only some minor issues and we do not expect any delays.'

Al Majed said a 41,817sqm service area for importing and exporting cars was also being developed. He said as a strategic component of the port, the service area, will provide all tenants and companies operating with a comprehensive and supportive business environment.

Al Majed said the aim was to offer companies, in particular the automotive industry, a tailored package with world-class amenities to support their commercial activities by cutting costs and increasing efficiency.

Located on land adjacent to the port entrance, the service area will offer 6,500sqm of office space to accommodate more than 105 offices, in addition to retail and office space on the ground floor. The project plan has already been drawn up by international consultants.

Al Majed said the service area would offer different amenities including basic maintenance facilities, banking facilities, restaurants and a convenience store.-TradeArabia News service