-
Prince Mohammed bin Nasser, governor of Jazan Region, led the inauguration of Port of Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries on September 7
-
Global port developer and operator Hutchison Ports will operate JCPDI Port under February 2021 contract with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, which says US$23 billion in opportunities awaits investors
-
Jazan Port has a total berth length of 1,250 meters for containers, bulk and general cargo, a 16.5-meter draft and a design capacity of 1 million TEUs a year
Saudi Arabia inaugurated Hutchison-run Jazan Port, the Kingdom’s future southern gateway and link to the world and its main opening for logistics services recently, as it aims to transform into a leading industrial power and global logistics hub by 2030.
The inauguration of Port of Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries (JCPDI Port), on September 7 was led by Prince Mohammed bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz, governor of Jazan Region, Hutchison Ports said in a press release on September 15.
Hutchison, a global port developer and operator, will operate JCPDI Port under a contract signed in February 2021 with the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu to invest in and operate the port according to international best practices.
Jazan Port has a total berth length of 1,250 meters for containers, bulk and general cargo, with a design capacity of 1 million TEUs a year and around 4 million tons of cargo, as well as a liquid terminal for oil tankers of Saudi Aramco. It will add to an array of modern, well-equipped ports in the Kingdom.
Khalid al-Salem, president of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, praised JCODI’s achievements and revealed that a range of investments and partnerships had been inaugurated with many local and international partners.
He mentioned the Saudi Silk Road Company, which was established to attract Chinese industrial investments to the Kingdom; the investment and operation contract with Hutchison Ports, and an agreement to build an alumina refinery with Hangzhou Jinjiang at an estimated investment capital of 4 billion Saudi riyals (US$1.04 billion).
Al-Salem added that existing investments at JCPDI have now reached about 88 billion riyals, although the city is still under construction. He pointed out that the port is one of the most critical enablers supporting JCPDI’s industrial growth.
In its first phase, which comprises three industrial berths, the port will have a single point mooring, three commercial berths for handling containers, and storage yards with special areas for storing and monitoring reefers.
The berth draft of 16.5 meters can dock modern fifth-generation ships larger than 21,000 TEUs and can handle general and bulk cargo ships with more than 100,000 tons capacity.
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar al-Khorayef stressed Jazan can attract investments and achieve the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 in the industry and tourism sectors. Jazan lies 572 km north of South Yemen’s border on the Red Sea.
Al-Khorayef asserted JCPDI Port is a new enabler to Saudi and regional logistics services, a significant attraction to investments and jobs creation in transport and logistics. He said $23 billion in investment opportunities awaits investors in Jazan.
Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih said in his speech the Saudi economy had achieved growth of 11% in Q1 2022 and that the International Monetary Fund forecasts the Kingdom will be the fastest-growing economy among the G20 countries in 2022.
He said that the Industrial Production Index (IPI), by the end of July 2022, had risen to 21.5 %, another indicator of the successful implementation of Vision 2030.
Charlie Darazi, Hutchison Ports Jazan CEO, said the port will be equipped with the latest remote-controlled cranes, state-of-the-art systems for both bulk and container operations that will enhance visibility to its clients and enable them to transact business electronically. Darazi said Hutchison Ports Jazan will run several training programs for local talent.
“We have been in Saudi Arabia for 22 years, and it is a very important market for Hutchison Ports. Today’s ceremony marks a new chapter for us in the Kingdom,” Hutchison Ports group managing director Eric Ip said.
Andy Tsoi, Hutchison Ports managing director for Middle East and Africa, said JCPDI Port sits at the crossroads of the busy east-west trade lane and the rapidly growing north-south trade. It also has the potential to be the Kingdom’s first port of call from East Asia.
