National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), a global leader in transportation and logistics, has announced that the Public Transport Authority (PTA) has completed the registration of Amjad, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) owned and operated by Bahri, under the flag of Saudi Arabia.

The announcement comes as part of Bahri’s plans to register all of its 37 VLCCs by the end of 2017, and falls in line with the remarkable shift and growth the transportation sector in the kingdom has witnessed in the recent past, said a statement from the company.

This also marks another achievement for PTA as an initiative completed as part of its national transformation programme, it said.

Last February, Amjad, the 37th VLCC to join Bahri’s fleet, arrived in the kingdom, docking at Port of Ras Tanura near Dammam, in the Eastern Province, where it was officially registered under the Saudi flag by officials from the Ministry of Transport and PTA in Saudi Arabia, it added.

The registration took place on the back of a number of successful meetings between maritime specialists from PTA and Bahri’s technical team.

Eng Ibrahim Al Omar, Bahri Group CEO, said: “Our company is committed to contributing to the enrichment and diversification of the national economy and the enhancement of the kingdom’s position on the transportation and logistics industry map, regionally and globally.”

“The registration of 37 VLCCs by the end of 2017 under the Saudi flag will enhance our global ranking in the International Maritime Organisation’s rank lists and will increase the size and efficiency of the Saudi maritime fleet,” he added.

Al Omar emphasised that Bahri remains dedicated to collaborating with the local government entities to continue serving the kingdom’s maritime industry. Highlighting the significant role the maritime sector plays in Saudi’s economic growth. The official reiterated the industry’s importance as one of the pillars of Saudi Arabia's 2030 Vision. Bahri continues to implement its plans to register the remaining 18 vessels, which will contribute towards boosting the maritime trade volume of the Kingdom with foreign countries, and will further elevate Bahri’s competitiveness in the transport market.

The Saudi Arabian flag is raised on cargo and passenger vessels after they are successfully registered with the PTA. They are then inspected and checked regularly in accordance with the standards laid down by international classification authorities accredited by the kingdom.

Moreover, the vessels can be licensed for sailing after meeting certain technical specifications as per shipyards’ requirements – for shipping vessels, and the allowed number of passengers – for passenger ships.

The 333-meter-long, 60-meter-wide and 29.4-meter-high vessel was named ‘Amjad’ (Arabic for ‘glories’) as a tribute to the great strides and progress the Kingdom has made over the years under the direction of its wise leadership.

Amjad was built in accordance with the latest environmental and fuel-efficient technical specifications. With the addition of the new vessel, Bahri has become the world’s largest VLCC owner and operator, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service