JEDDAH: Several ships left the Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) after waiting for three or more days for permission to enter, reported Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper.
“About six cargo ships left the Ghatis area outside the JIP without getting entry permission. The vessels had waited there for three or more days. The ships were not given permission because there were no free wharfs and there was a shortage of workers,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The ships did not want to pay higher waiting charges — the charges would have risen manifold due to prolonged waiting and unloading delay had the ships waited any longer.”
He added that a container ship, unlike a cargo ship, has to pay $80,000 for a single day’s waiting. The situation has worsened because of the lack of wharfs to accommodate the large number of ships waiting for entry.
Shipping agents in Jeddah fear the crisis may continue until the end of the year, as the need for imported goods increases.
On the other hand, Khaled A. Bubshait, president of the General Ports Authority, attributed the present crisis to the Kingdom’s rapid economic progress and an increased need for imported goods. As a solution to the worsening situation, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce recently announced a number of measures such as the construction of more wharfs and container terminals, more anchoring space and the hiring of more workers.
Many commercial ships have been reportedly skipping the Jeddah Islamic Port due to extreme congestion and unload their consignments at nearby ports, causing problems to exporters and importers.
Tarek Al-Marzouki, head of the Shipping Committee at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that many shipping lines have diverted their routes without stopping at Jeddah. “They have been doing this because of a lack of unloading facilities and fear of fines,” he added. A senior official at an export company said the problem at the Jeddah port has been persisting since at least last month.
