King Abdullah Economic City's seaport is expected to contribute SR 10 billion to Saudi Arabia's economy annually when it opens next year, an official at Emaar, the Economic City has said.
Ahmed Linjawi, president of the city services and industrial division at Emaar told Arab News it would also create up to 15,000 jobs.
He added one of the greatest features of the port is its capability to receive the new generation of mega vessels that will significantly uplift the level of the Kingdom's competitiveness by enhancing maritime transport and logistics services.
Linjawi explained work on the seaport would continue following the scheduled opening of operations until the completion of its first phase in 2015.
Linjawi said: “The first phase of the new seaport will have a capacity of 4 million TEUs and will comprise approximately one and a half kilometers of deep-water berth capable of handling the largest cargo vessels in the world, as well as almost three quarters of a million square meters of container storage area, able to store over 80,000 TEUs at any one time.”
He added progress to date on completing the port is well underway with 10 million cubic meters of dredging and excavation completed and nearly 800 tons of concrete blocks to be utilized to construct the quay wall.
“We are also developing a roll-in roll-out terminal for the import and export of automobiles and other moving equipment.”
He said the KAEC port, extending over a total of 13 million square meters, is one of the key components of King Abdullah Economic City and is already attracting companies from various industries due to its strategic location and direct access to the Industrial Valley, which makes it the ideal outlet to reach 250 million consumers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Linjawi added: "KAEC's port aims to be one of the largest ports in the world with an eventual capacity of around 20 million TEU per year.
“It will address the needs of the business community and coupled with the introduction of industry leading systems and practices, KAEC’s port will radically change the face of the logistics supply chain in Saudi Arabia and the GCC region.”
