King Abdul Aziz Port

King Abdul Aziz Port
Location
Country	Saudi Arabia
Location	Dammam, Eastern Province
Coordinates	26°29′19″N 50°12′4″E / 26.48861°N 50.20111°ECoordinates: 26°29′19″N 50°12′4″E / 26.48861°N 50.20111°E
Details
Owned by	Saudi Ports Authority
Type of harbor	Coastal Breakwater
Land area	19,000 hectares (190 km^2)
Available berths	39
Port Director General	Naeem Ibrahim Al-Naeem
Statistics
Vessel arrivals	2,022 (1994)[1]
Annual cargo tonnage	25.9 million (2011)
Main exports	Petrochemicals, industrial products
Main imports	Food and foodstuffs, construction materials, consumer goods
Website www.ports.gov.sa

King Abdul Aziz Port, also known as Dammam Port, is a port in the city of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It the largest port in the Persian Gulf, and the second largest and second busiest port in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, after the Jeddah Seaport. King Abdul Aziz Port is a major export centre for the oil industry, and also a key distribution centre for major landlocked cities in the country, particularly the capital cities of provinces, such as Riyadh which is linked to Dammam by a railway line.^[2]

King Abdul Aziz Port covers an area of over 19,000 hectares. The port has a fully equipped 13.5-hectare ship repair complex with two ship repair and maintenance docks and an advanced training center. It also has a 95-meter (310 ft) tower and special stations that handle containers, bulk cereals, and cold and frozen foods.^[3]

Following the discovery of large oil reserves in the Eastern Province in 1938, the small coastal village of Dammam rapidly developed into a major regional city and important seaport. It became a centre for natural gas and petroleum reserves and the commercial hub of eastern Saudi Arabia. The majority of the modern city of Dammam and its suburbs were built after the 1940s. Rapid expansion brought the cities of Dammam and Khobar within a few minutes drive by the 1980s. Further population growth and economic expansion resulted in the cities of Dammam, Khobar and Dhahran being merged into the Dammam Metropolitan Area.^[4] Several major projects to develop the port were initiated in 2013.^[5]

Container terminals

There are two container terminals at the King Abdul Aziz Port. Both terminals operate 24 hours a day, with shift breaks, and breaks for meals and prayer.^[6]

The older terminal is operated by International Port Services (IPS), a subsidiary of Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH).^[7] The container terminal is a joint venture between HPH and the Saudi company Maritime Company for Navigation (MACNA).^[3]

The ground breaking ceremony for the second container terminal was held on 6 October 2012.^[8] The terminal opened in April 2015.^[9][10][11]

Railway line

The Saudi Railways Organization's cargo line begins at the King Abdul Aziz Port and passes through Al-Ahsa, Abqaiq, Al-Kharj, Haradh and Al-Tawdhihiyah, before terminating at the dry port in Riyadh. The 556 kilometer line serves is a major transport route for goods arriving at Dammam to reach the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.^[12]

References

1. "King Abdul Aziz Port at Dammam". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
2. "Capacity expansion at King Abdulaziz Port". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
3. "WPS - King Abdul Aziz Port port commerce". World Port Source. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
4. "WPS - King Abdul Aziz Port review". World Port Source. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
5. "Port authorities plan to spend SR 3.43 billion on development". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
6. "Port Information Dammam". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
7. "Welcome To International Ports Services". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
8. "Minister Lui at the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
9. "Container terminal opens at Saudi Arabia's King Abdul Aziz Port". Retrieved 28 April 2016.
10. "SGP Opens Second Container Terminal in Dammam". World Maritime News. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
11. Jamie Lee. "PSA starts operations at Saudi Arabian port". The Business Times. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
12. "Existing Network". www.saudirailways.org. Retrieved 28 April 2016.