Print
PDF
Saudi Global Ports (SGP), a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and PSA International (PSA), has started commercial operations at the second container terminal in King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam. The first vessel, Orient Express Line’s 2000 teu Niara was handled on April 23rd, with more than 1000 teu being loaded and unloaded from the maiden call.
Phase 1 of SGP’s terminal has 700m of quay, with 16m of water alongside, and covers an area of 45 hectares. The terminal is equipped with six super-post-panamax quay cranes, each able to work 23 container rows across on deck, as well as 19 RTGs, and six reach stackers. The facility has a container freight station, cold storage warehouse, 1000 reefer plugs and is directly rail connected with three 1300m long rail sidings.
A further construction phase is planned, and when the new SGP terminal is fully developed, it will have a quay length of 1200 m, 12 quay cranes, and a designed capacity of 1.8 million teu per annum.
Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al Mufadhi, PIF’s secretary general, said: “The second container terminal in Dammam is commercially and strategically significant for the development of the Kingdom’s economy.”
Container traffic at Dammam, Saudi Arabia’s leading Gulf gateway, has increased steadily in recent years. As well as boosting capacity in line with demand the new PSA-operated terminal will provide competition for the existing container terminal in Dammam. This is operated by International Port Services, a subsidiary of the HPG global port operating group.
