Mawani moves ahead on JIP upgrades

Modern Building Leaders (MBL), in a consortium with Huta Hegerfeld Saudia Ltd., and PC Marine Services will carry out $171m of work, a Saudi Press Agency report said this week.

The MBL contract will deepen the harbour's approach channels, turning basins, and waterways. The upgrades will enable 24,000 teu vessels to come alongside, enhancing the port’s ability to attract new global shipping lines.

The PC Marine Services contract will see new berths (Nos.26 to 31), at a length of 1,100 metres and draft of 16 metres, constructed at the port’s multi-cargo terminals, in order to receive large bulk grain carriers, and secure the Kingdom’s strategic grain reserves through higher imports.

Saudi Arabia's ports performed well in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2021, securing top positions among 370 ports. King Abdullah Port took first spot, followed by Jeddah Islamic Port, at eighth, and King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam, in 14^th position.

According to Italian news agency, ANSA, King Abdullah Port reached an average of 97 container moves per hour last year, “a huge figure compared to the maximum of 25 container moves per hour in North American ports.”