National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri), a leader in logistics and transportation, said it has taken delivery of ‘Khurais', a very large crude-oil carrier (VLCC), further enhancing its market-leading capabilities in crude oil transportation.

The new addition brings the total number of the vessels in Bahri’s fleet to 92, and is the fourth of five VLCCs to be received this year from South Korea-based Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), a leading global shipbuilding company, said a statement.

Khurais was delivered at a ceremony held at HSHI’s Mokpo shipyard in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, on April 10, it said.

Capable of transporting two million barrels of crude oil, the 300,000-DWT carrier is the ninth of 10 VLCCs ordered from the South Korean shipbuilding company as part of Bahri’s strategic long-term maritime growth and expansion plan, it added.

Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO of Bahri, said: “This latest addition to our fleet of VLCCs consolidates our standing as a global leader in the crude oil transportation industry and gives us a greater competitive edge.”

“We will leverage the resulting improvements in efficiency to cater for the steadily increasing demand for crude oil transportation and bring added value to our clients and stakeholders,” he said.

“The addition of the new vessel further enhances our capabilities and underlines our commitment to objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030. We are proud to play a key role in maintaining the kingdom’s pre-eminent position as a key strategic regional hub and logistics gateway across three continents,” he added.

Khurais joins the three vessels received earlier this year, named Kassab, Lawhah, and Qamran, in further strengthening Bahri’s position as the world’s biggest owner and operator of VLCCs, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service