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Saudi Ports Authority to raise JIP, Dammam Ports capacities to 8.5 million TEUs annually
May 12, 2010
President of the Saudi Ports Authority D. Khaled Bubshait has expected the capacity of Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) to reach 7.5 TEUs per year in the coming period. He underlined that this comes within the horizontal and vertical expansion plan undergoing by the Port.
He added that the Saudi Ports Authority is working to cope with the logistic traffic at the Port as a committee representing the Ministry of Transportation, the traffic department, JIP and Jeddah Municipality has been established to identify the proper mechanism to face this increase in traffic and the bridges to be built. (We have a future plan for this), he said.
(King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam is undergoing an expansion phase like other ports in the Kingdom and work is underway to build another container terminal with an operational capacity of two million TEUs), the President of the Saudi Ports Authority noted.
Bubshait remarks came amid cases of seasonal complaints about congestions in ports. He stressed that goods coming via Saudi ports have increased by 3% in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period of last year. He added that containers traffic has increased by 14% and transships by 21%.
The Saudi Ports Authority expected an annual growth between 10 to 12 percent in cargo handled by the Saudi ports this year. The President of the Saudi Ports Authority said the undergoing expansions will ease pressure on ports.
The Saudi ports have handled 142 million tons last year. Unloaded shipments reached 58,248,201 tons while loaded shipments reached 84,058,652 tons. Number of containers handled by the ports has reached 4,430, and number of passengers has reached 1,168,673 among them 610,484 arriving passengers.
The President of the Saudi Ports Authority has reiterated that the Authority would continue development of the ports and the increase of their operational capacities by benefiting from the allocated budget which has amounted to SR 1496 million this year with an increase of 40 percent compared to last year's budget and 81 percent more compared to the year before. He disclosed that this year's ports budget covers a number of projects for modernization of infrastructure of a number of projects and building new berths at Ras Azour Port. He added that this would enable the Saudi Ports Authority to continue its development plan of the Saudi ports, maintaining its position among global ports and enhance its competitiveness at the regional and international levels.
Bubshait expressed hope of the future of these ports and their development to a level that match ambitions. He explained that the Saudi ports stem their strength and leading positions from the strength of the Saudi economy which enjoys the government's support. He noted that the strategic plans for developing the Saudi ports copes with the significant growth witnessed by the Kingdom.
Regarding the capability of Saudi ports in meeting the accelerating growth of export and import traffic, the President of the Saudi Ports Authority said that a number of Saudi ports are ready for this growth, adding that all Saudi ports has undergone horizontal and vertical expansions. The Jubail Commercial Port, for instance, which has an operation capacity of 100,000 TEUs, has a current annual capacity of 300,000TEUs now and will have an annual capacity of one million TEUs by 2012, he pointed out. He added that the Port is being expanded according to a studied plan aiming at meeting growth in relevant sectors. (Another cargo terminal may be operated to meet this significant growth), he concluded.
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