233 million tons of goods handled in KSA’s ports

RIYADH — The quantity of goods, other than crude oil, handled by Saudi Arabia’s nine major commercial and industrial ports totaled 233 million tons in 2015. The Saudi ports, with this figure, achieved an increase of 10.95 percent compared to the quantity handled in 2014, reaching 210 million tons, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The Saudi Ports Authority’s annual report for the year 2015 showed that the authority’s revenues totaled SR4.467 billion, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to the revenues made in 2014 when the operational expenditures by the authority reached SR702 million. The ports thus achieved a surplus in revenues compared to operation costs. The report showed that the Kingdom enjoys a distinctive geographical location and extensive coasts, which make it unique compared to the neighboring countries. Saudi seaports serve the biggest economy in the region and receive 70 percent of the export and import traffic in the Kingdom. They were and still are the effective partner for all development and services projects carried out by the state for decades now. The Saudi Ports Authority has developed its administrative apparatus and now relies on e-government in completing (paper) work between the administrations at the headquarters in Riyadh and the seaports within seconds. This has contributed to decreasing the time taken in correspondence. Earlier the time was lengthy, but now the transactions are processed with the required high speed. Apart from this, the Saudi Ports Authority is keen to develop the performance of its employees, train them and upgrade their capabilities by providing them with various specialist training courses that would enable them to keep pace with the latest developments in the seaports industry and maritime transport. These courses are given within the Kingdom and abroad. The coming year will witness a number of courses at Dammam Academy in King Abdulaziz Seaport in Dammam and in several other centers. The authority’s aim is to develop the seaports and make them more competitive. The authority will also focus on raising the standard of operational performance and keeping up with the developments in the seaports industry. The report also stated that 134 Saudi employees were appointed in various specializations, hence bringing the total number of employees in the Saudi Ports Authority to 3,481 at its headquarters in Riyadh and in the ports. Saudization in the authority and its ports has reached 99.9 percent. About 1,230 of the authority’s employees have received specialist training programs and courses in ports works so as to develop their efficiency and improve their performance. The authority has completed the national strategy for development and operation of ports. It has also prepared a master plan for each port. The Kingdom’s commercial and industrial ports include Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz General Port, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Jubail Commercial Port, Yanbu Commercial Port; and the ports of Jazan, Dhiba and Ras Al-Khair.