The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) on Thursday (Nov24) announced that the King Fahad Shipyard, King Abdulaziz Port's in-house vessel repair facility, has received mega containership MSC ALIZEE III, the largest ever in its history, to undergo necessary maintenance and modification works.
Thanks to its supreme operating capabilities and the 360-degree modernization of its infrastructure, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam counts itself amongst the world's best in productivity, regulatory efficiency, and digital transformation as envisaged by Mawani's pathbreaking Smart Ports initiative and the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to position Saudi Arabia at the forefront of the global logistics industry.
Owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global logistics giant, the MSC ALIZEE III spans a length of 208.3 meters and a width of 30 meters with its draft measuring 7.4 meters deep. Under the supervision of the port administration and the unparalleled expertise of shipyard operator Al-Blagha Industrial Co., the vessel had gone through multiple steps of repair work, with its cargo hold, generators, cranes, and navigation systems being fixed in the initial stage followed by its hull's 100-ton steel plates being replaced and repainted in the subsequent stage.
Set up in 1982, the state-of-the-art King Fahad Shipyard had received the bulk carrier African Jacana in November 2021, which had a carrying capacity of 17,000 tons and a length of 200 meters.
King Abdulaziz Port will soon be home to three modern quay cranes after a deal was struck between Saudi Global Ports (SGP) and Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Company (ZPMC) under the patronage of Mawani to manufacture the cargo handling equipment, therefore helping the port accommodate giant vessels and boost its credentials as a major trade hub on the Arabian Gulf coast.