The Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) has outlined plans to spend US$266.6mn on upgrading its facilities to handle an increasing amount of cargo and seasonal backlogs
Last year, the annual handling capacity of the port increased by 20 per cent from the year before. The port currently handles more than 65 per cent of the traffic entering Saudi Arabia from the sea.
JIP director general Sahir Tahlawi said, ?The purpose of these projects is to upgrade the operational capacity of the port, so that it can deal better with the growth in commercial traffic. The growth reflects the geographical importance of JIP.?
Tahlawi added that the new strategic projects include the expansion of Route 8, which has become one of the major roads in the area. ?Around 5,000 trucks use Route 8 daily,? the port?s director general revealed.
Other projects include the upgrade of electric power system, and construction of a multi-story car park to accommodate more than 17,000 cars. The construction of new admiration building and upgrade of drainage and fire alarm systems have also been included in the strategic plan.
Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairperson for the trade commission Nashwa Tahir said that Saudi Arabia ports needed logistic support to streamline the flow of cargo.
?Some goods take too long to reach local markets, some of which are quite far from Jeddah. To overcome this problem, land transport services must coordinate with authorities of these new projects,? she said.
