December 04, 2008

Chinese firms bags Jeddah Islamic Port contract from Tusdeer

Two Chinese companies have won contracts to construct the massive third terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, Saudi Arabia’s oldest and largest port.

Saudi Trade and Export Development Company signed a deal with China Harbor Engineering Co to build the Red Sea Gate terminal over 22 months, beginning in January 2008. The new terminal will be built based on designs made by the British engineering consultancy Halcrow and is scheduled to begin operating fully in the fourth quarter of 2009. Designed to handle 1.5 million containers annually, it will increase the port’s overall capacity by 45%.

Cranes manufacturer Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machinery will supply the terminal with eight container cranes, 26 ship loaders and un loaders and large steel bridge structures. It will supply equipment in three stages starting mid 2009.

Tusdeer, a subsidiary of Saudi Industrial Services, is building the terminal with Seaport Terminal of Malaysia, which has a 20% stake in the project. The USD 443 million projects will be implemented on a build operate transfer basis and will take three years to complete. The new terminal will be built on reclaimed land along the re export zone at Jeddah Islamic Port and is expected to handle up to two million 20 feet TEU containers a year.