Bahrain's Khalifa bin Salman Port (KBSP) is one of the GCC's most productive harbours, said the chief executive officer of managing company APM Terminals.

Its capacity to handle 37 containers per crane per hour has made it possible to achieve one of the best turnaround times, said Marco Neelsen.

"The port handles 1,000 vessels of various sizes every year and can berth six vessels at a time," Neelsen told our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

"The quicker turnaround time also means the ships leave faster after coming in and they can then go slower to their next destination. This works out very well for the large ships that look forward to coming to Bahrain."

Neelsen said several steps have also been taken to ensure the average turnaround time for trucks is reduced by a maximum of 30 minutes.

"Everything is being done to make life easier for everyone who comes to the facility," he added.

Neelsen revealed plans to set up a customer portal in which customers can track their cargo and make payments online.

"This will save them time and further reduce the time they spend at the port for the paperwork," he said.

Neelsen said despite last year's unrest, the port had managed to operate without losses.

"We were able to operate normally in difficult times and not a single vessel was turned away," he added.

APM Terminals started operations in Bahrain in 2009 at Mina Salman and was then awarded the contract to operate KBSP for 25 years. – TradeArabia News Service