The ShipTek Awards have named the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, the Port of the Year".
The container terminal developments made by the port have enhanced its infrastructure and increased its capacity by more than 120%.
A cooperation with STC is converting the port into a 5G-powered smart port to increase productivity and automate duties.
May 19, 2024, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, "Port of the Year" went to the King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam at the 19th annual ShipTek Awards, according to a press release from the Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani. The success has been presented to Mawani as recognition for its efforts towards the betterment of infrastructure at the port, particularly by constructing and running container terminals. The port can now accommodate 7.5 million TEUs of containers, a 120% increase in handling capacity, thanks to an approximately SAR7 billion investment in a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) system that was made. I'm incredibly pleased of each and every one of you for your wonderful achievement. Now for the announcement: Mawani and STC have teamed up to enable 5G technology and turn King Abdul Aziz Port into a smart port. This portion of Smart Ports will automate processes like remote crane control to increase production and speed up container transit.
To increase the port's capacity, four integrated logistics parks will be built, at an estimated cost of SAR 1.2 billion. These parks foster distribution, storage, and transportation activity in both local and regional areas. According to the statement, King Abdul Aziz Port "has a very prominent role in supporting the maritime transport sector". With smart partnerships with the world's leading shipping corporations, twelve more shipping services are expected by the year 2023. Starting from the year 2024, there will be six new shipping lines in the market. The port is now handling the record volumes of cargo because of the many advantages emanating from the improved infrastructure. The port handled 2,305,811 TEUs in the year 2023; this is an increase of 13.10% compared to the previous year. The port continued to expand and reached a record high of 235,820 TEUs handled in February 2024. This is a staggering increase by 25.41% compared to the same period a year ago.