Hutchison Ports and the Royal Commission in Jubail and Yanbu inaugurated the Port of Jazan City for Primary and Downstream Industries (JCPDI Port) in September 7.

His Excellency the President of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, Eng. Khalid Al-Salem pointed out that the Port is one of the most critical enablers supporting JCPDI's industrial growth.

Al-Salem clarified that the Port consists, in its first phase, of three industrial berths, an SPM that provides services to Saudi Aramco Refinery, three commercial berths for handling containers including general cargo and bulk goods, in addition to storage yards with special areas for storing and monitoring refrigerated containers.

The Port also has a berth with a depth of 16.5 meters, which enables receiving modern fifth-generation ships with a capacity reaching more than 21,000 TEUs, and that can also handle general cargo and bulk cargo ships with a capacity of more than 100,000 tons per ship.

His Excellency the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar AlKhorayef, said JCPDI Port is a new enabler to the logistical services in the Kingdom and the region.

Bandar AlKhorayef pointed out that the Port aims to contribute to developing the industrial sector in the Jazan region, targeting global markets and increasing exports by capitalizing on the strategic location of Jazan, which will enhance the position and role of the Kingdom in the global supply chains.

He then went on to note that ports are the "cornerstone" of any industrial development and that JCPDI Port will be a "key driver" of the logistics services in the Kingdom and the Middle East, due to its strategic location as the port sits on a global trade corridor.

"We have been in Saudi Arabia for 22 years, and it is a very important market for Hutchison Ports. [This] ceremony marks a new chapter for us in the Kingdom and we look forward to working closely with the Royal Commission to make Hutchison Ports Jazan a success and help JCPDI reach its full potential and contribute to the Saudi Vision 2030," said Eric Ip, group managing director of Hutchison Ports.

First port of call from East Asia

Andy Tsoi (second from left), managing director of Hutchison Ports, Middle East and Africa and The Royal Commission in Jubail and Yanbu. Photo: Hutchison Ports

Andy Tsoi, Hutchison Ports managing director for the Middle East and Africa said that JCPDI Port is in a strategic location as it sits at the crossroads of the east-west trade lane and the rapidly growing north-south trade.

"JCPDI also has the potential to be the Kingdom's first port of call from East Asia. Given the talented local human capital and the continuing support of development policies, the port is very well-positioned for the future of the Kingdom's maritime industry," Tsoi added.

Charlie Darazi, Hutchison Ports Jazan's chief executive officer, said the Port will be equipped with remote-controlled cranes, state of the art systems for both bulk and container operations which will provide enhanced visibility to its clients and will enable them to perform all transactions electronically.

In a statement, Hutchison Ports said JCPDI Port will be the southern gateway connecting the Kingdom to the world and the main gateway for logistics services in alignment with the national objectives under the Saudi Vision 2030 aiming to transform the Kingdom into a leading industrial power and a global logistics hub.

The Port has a total berth length of 1250m for containers, bulk and general cargo, with a design capacity of one million TEUs per year and around four million tons of cargo, in addition to a liquid terminal for oil tankers of Saudi Aramco.

In February 2021, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu signed an Investment and Operations Agreement with Hutchison Ports to invest and operate JCPDI according to the best international practices.