DAMMAM, 7 February 2008 — A new container terminal will be established at King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam at a cost of more than SR1 billion, said Naeem ibn Ibrahim Al-Naeem, director general of the port, yesterday.
“The project will be implemented on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis,” Naeem told reporters after signing a contract with Abdul Aziz Al-Turki to renovate the port’s wharves at a cost of SR35.1 million.
“Studies have been completed on the new container terminal and tenders will be invited within a few months to implement the project, which is open to Saudi and foreign companies,” he said.
Naeem said the new terminal would increase the port’s total capacity from 1.5 million to 3.5 million units, adding that it augurs well with the railway expansion project linking the Kingdom’s east with the west. He said the contract that was signed yesterday with Abdul Aziz Al-Turki & Partners would cover renovation of 40 percent of the port’s 39 wharves. “The remaining wharves are rented to the private sector,” he said.
Naeem emphasized the significance of the renovation project, saying it would increase the port’s capacity and improve its safety conditions. King Adul Aziz Port is the Kingdom’s second largest in terms of capacity and number of wharves.
