King Abdullah Port, the first privately owned, developed and operated port in the Middle East, concluded today (February 26) its participation as platinum sponsor of Breakbulk Middle East (BBME) for the third year in a row.

 

The fifth edition of the annual event, which was held at Dubai World Trade Center under the patronage of the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority – Land & Maritime, Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, attracted several Arab ministers and senior government officials.

 

Khaled Shalha, Marketing Head at King Abdullah Port, delivered welcoming remarks at the event, and expressed his thanks and appreciation to Al Nuaimi for extending his steadfast support to this important annual event. He stated: “The continued association between King Abdullah Port and Breakbulk Middle East creates exciting opportunities to build connections, strengthen relationships and learn more about the latest developments in the breakbulk sector.”

 

Shalha continued: “The Kingdom has embarked on a remarkable transformation journey inspired by the goals of Vision 2030, the government’s ambitious roadmap to sustainable success, and we at King Abdullah Port are proud to support these efforts through our state-of-the-art maritime logistics capabilities. Since its official inauguration by the Crown Prince HRH Prince Mohammad bin Salman in February 2019, King Abdullah Port has established its position as a leading local/regional logistics hub. Perhaps the most prominent example of our complimentary role for government agencies in the Kingdom is the MoU signed by Mawani and the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authority a few days ago, which confirmed that government agencies and the private sector in the Kingdom continue to work together to achieve strategic national objectives, including maintaining regional and global leadership for Saudi ports and promoting the Kingdom’s position as a key driver for global trade.”

 

Participants at the event included Onur Yigiter, CEO of AMSteel, the operator of the bulk and general cargo terminal at King Abdullah Port. Yigiter spoke during a panel session titled Breakbulk Ports: Development, Demand and Competition, where participants shared ideas and insights on the factors driving development in the region and where future opportunities lie. They also discussed strategies for remaining competitive in the current market and how they are prioritizing improvements.

 

Although bulk cargo operations only began at King Abdullah Port in 2017, the annual throughput for bulk and general cargo increased to 2.98 million t during 2019, registering an impressive year-on-year growth of 333%.

 

Run by the Ports Development Company, King Abdullah Port is the first port in the region to be fully owned, developed and operated by the private sector. It has been listed as the world’s fastest-growing container port and one of the 100 largest ports globally after less than four years of operation. 10 of the largest shipping lines work at the port to offer integrated services to importers and exporters. King Abdullah Port’s development plan is proceeding at a steady pace and it is set to consolidate its place among the leading ports worldwide. Its advanced facilities and proximity to a bonded and re-export zone and logistics park provide world-class logistics support for clients and enable them to achieve their desired growth.

 

Strategically located on the Red Sea coast in King Abdullah Economic City, it is occupying an area of 17.4 sq km, and enjoying close proximity to the key Saudi cities of Jeddah, Holy Makkah, Al Madinah and Yanbu.—TradeArabia News Service