Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced the completion of development work on the Red Sea Gateway Terminal in Jeddah Islamic Port at a total investment of over SAR1 billion ($266 million). 

 

Following the completion of this project, the terminal’s area has more than doubled from 700,000 sq m to 1,500,000 sq m, and the terminal handling capacity has increased from 2.5 million TEUs to 6.2 million TEUs.

 

It included the renovation of all buildings at the terminal, the inauguration of an advanced control room equipped with the latest technologies, the establishment of automated main gates for trucks entering and exiting the terminal, with a larger capacity and equipped with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature, in addition to supporting operational performance with 146 different equipment, during the period from 2020 to 2023.

 

The work, which was completed in cooperation with the Red Sea Gateway Terminal (RSGT), is expected to enhance the operational capabilities of the port, increase its capacity, and boost the efficiency of logistics services.

 

According to Mawani, the development of Jeddah Islamic Port’s North Container Terminal comes as part of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract signed with the Red Sea Gateway Terminal, aligning with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to make Jeddah Islamic Port a world-class leader.

 

The scope of work included rehabilitation of the infrastructure, covering more than 1.5 million sq m and 11 berths of 2,600 m equipped with 24 shore-to-ship cranes (STS), along with the completion of the deepening project.

 

It has also expanded the northern channel of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal to welcome giant ships with a draft of up to 17m.

 

On the successful work completion, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of the Saudi Ports Authority, said this will contribute to enhancing operational capabilities and increasing the port’s capacity in trade movements, exports and supporting maritime transport, supply chains as well as logistics services.

 

Emphasising the importance of the timely completion of infrastructure rehabilitation and the deepening project, Al Jasser said: "It will enable the Jeddah port to receive giant ships and achieve added value, which in turn will create promising investment opportunities that support the significant maritime capabilities of Saudi ports."

 

Mawani President Omar Hariri lauded the efforts of the private sector and national and international investors in the success of its initiatives. 

 

"The continuous development of the infrastructure at Jeddah Islamic Port is part of our efforts to raise the kingdom’s position in international rankings in the maritime sector besides maximising its ability to stimulate the transportation and logistics industry and strengthen its economic and developmental role," he added.

 

Red Sea Gateway Terminal CEO Jens Floe said this achievement reflects the strategic partnership between Mawani and RSGT. 

 

"The integration work on the terminal was completed within a period not exceeding three years, thus contributing to increasing the terminal’s area from 700,000 sq m to 1,500,000 sq m, and increasing the terminal handling capacity from 2.5 million TEUs to 6.2 million TEUs," he added.-TradeArabia News Service