Specialized Marine Services key contributor to success of King Abdullah Port
In 2016, Container Management magazine, a British global leader specialized in ports, navigation, maritime transportation and container handling, issued a report that ranked King Abdullah Port by far the fastest growing of any in the publication’s global list of top 120 ports. Additionally, King Abdullah Port was ranked 98th in a list of the 100 largest ports worldwide in 2017, after only three years of operation.
King Abdullah Port is considered the latest infrastructure megaproject in the Middle East. It was built according to world-class standards to cope with the Kingdom’s economic and commercial growth in the coming decades. The port was able to achieve rapid success and incredible progress in its operations in just a few years.
Its success was based on several elements, the most important of which was the establishment of the Specialised Marine Services (SMS), a joint venture company established in 2013 between the Ports Development Company (PDC), which is the private sector owner and developer of King Abdullah Port, and the National Port Services Company Ltd.
SMS is the primary supplier of marine services, such as marine guidance, in King Abdullah Port. “Its team includes highly qualified and skilled maritime guides with vast experience in dealing with the largest international vessels, most of which have visited the King Abdullah Port.
All guides hired to work in the marine services department are ambitious Saudi youth who undergo periodic training in accordance with the highest international standards.
In addition to their continual professional development on the job, they also proudly hold a record that is 100 percent accident-free,” a press release said.
In the field of towage services, SMS offers its services to all vessels in King Abdullah Port, while the multi-purpose fleet of tugboats provides the necessary around-the-clock support for vessel movement within the port. In addition, the company provides various services to Red Sea coast marine operations that work on maintaining the status of this sea corridor, which is classified as one of the most important corridors worldwide, according to experts.
In addition to port operations, tugboats offer rescue and firefighting services to vessels both by the coast or sailing across the Red Sea. In 2016, the company provided handling and towage services to 1,460 vessels, and this number is expected to rise by 30 percent by the end of 2017.