New projects to upgrade operational capacity of Jeddah Islamic Port

Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) will spend $ 266.6 million to upgrade its facilities to handle an increasing amount of cargo and seasonal backlogs. Last year, the annual handling capacity of the port stood at 62 million tons, up by 20 percent from the year before.
The port handles more than 65 percent of the traffic entering the Kingdom from the sea.
“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,” Captain Sahir Tahlawi, director general of JIP, said.
Tahlawi said that the new strategic projects include the expansion of Route 8, which is one of the major roads in the area. “Around 5,000 trucks use Route 8 daily,” Tahlawi said.
Other projects include the upgrade of electric power system, and construction of a multistory car park, that will accommodate more than 17,000 cars. The construction of new admiration building, and the upgrade of drainage and fire alarm systems are also included in the strategic plan.
“JIP has implemented many investment projects in the past that have resulted in great economic returns, including the construction of multi-purpose stations. Currently, these stations are operated and managed by the private sector. As a result, there has been a greater demand for JIP’s services.”
Nashwa Tahir, chairwoman of the trade commission at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Saudi ports need 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.