National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), a leader in logistics and transportation, has accepted the delivery of its first very large crude-oil carrier (VLCC) for this year, ‘Kassab’, to enhance the its maritime offering and increase its market share in crude oil transportation.

The 300,000-DWT carrier, built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), a leading shipbuilding company based in South Korea, lifts Bahri’s total number of multipurpose fleet to 89 and VLCCs to 42, further solidifying its position as the largest VLCC owner and operator worldwide, said a statement.

Bahri took the delivery of ‘Kassab’, which is the first of five vessels on order for the year, at a ceremony held at the HSHI’s Mokpo shipyard in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on January 22.

Eng Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO of Bahri, said: “The addition of ‘Kassab’ to our already strong fleet is a significant boost to our unmatched maritime capabilities. The new vessel is a testament to the rigor and robustness of our continued expansion, which is a critical component of our well-thought-out business model and long-term growth strategy.”

“After delivering a solid performance in 2017, we are gearing up for another year of outstanding growth with our enhanced offering, leveraging our renewed approach to revolutionise the global maritime sector,” he said.

“With the latest addition, we have once again asserted our position as the first and only transportation and logistics company in the world to have a 42-strong VLCC fleet,” he said.

“We are now uniquely placed to cater for increased demand for crude in the global oil market and pursue our expansion into new markets to enable Saudi Arabia to reinforce its pre-eminent position as a strategic regional hub and logistics gateway to the three continents,” he added.

The addition of ‘Kassab’, which comes within days after Eng Aldubaikhi took the helm as the chief executive of Bahri, will further strengthen the company’s resolve to provide its customers with world-class transportation solutions and value-added customer service, offering a diverse service portfolio that includes transportation of crude oil, oil products, chemicals, bulk, and general cargo, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service