Ground-breaking ceremony for second container terminal in Dammam port

Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry launched Saturday the the ground-breaking ceremony for a second container terminal at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam.
Among the prominent figures who attended the ceremony were Lui Tuck Yew, minister of transport in Singapore, and a large number of officials, businessmen and diplomats.
Talking to journalists and media representatives, Al-Seraisry said: “The Saudi Ports Authority is honored today for the groundbreaking ceremony under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Such honor is an extension of King Abdullah’s charities in supporting development projects in the Kingdom in general and the ports sector in particular.”
The minister said the second container terminal would help enhance the capabilities of the port to meet the growing demand in the activity of containers’ transport and gain the largest share of maritime trade.
“This project is also an enhancement in the role of the private sector in establishing and operating ports through investments to be injected into this project. However, there is no doubt that the participation of the PSA International (Singapore’s ports authority) in this project is a confirmation of its confidence in the Kingdom’s economy and Saudi ports,” said Al-Seraisry.
Speaking on the occasion, Lui Tuck Yew shed light on Saudi Arabia's developments and growing economy, in which the Kingdom has attracted a major portion of the foreign direct investment going into the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.
The Singaporean minister said: “I am pleased to join you for the groundbreaking of the second container terminal of the King Abdul Aziz Port. This not only marks the beginning of another exciting phase for the port, but is also PSA International’s first port infrastructure project in the Arabian Gulf.”
He stressed the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and Singapore, saying that Saudi Arabia is Singapore’s largest trading partner in the Middle East.
“Bilateral trade increased by 42 percent from SR 49.5 billion in 2010 to SR 69.9 billion in 2011. Our growing bilateral relationship has created opportunities for our companies to work even closer together,” said Lui Tuck Yew.
“The partnership between PSA International, its local partner, the Public Investment Fund, and the Saudi Ports Authority to develop the second container terminal in the King Abdul Aziz Port is one concrete manifestation of our desire for enhanced cooperation,” he said.
Abdul Aziz Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the Saudi Ports Authority, said the development of the port will help it handle the largest container ships in the world today. The station will operate efficiently in a standard rate by using modern equipment.