Riyadh - The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has signed an agreement with Abyat, one of the leading GCC companies specialized in finishing and furnishing materials, to build a regional logistics center at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam for distribution and assembly, over an area exceeding 81k m2 and more than SAR 100 million worth of investment.

The agreement was signed by H.E Mr. Omar Talal Hariri, President of Mawani, and Mr. Yasser Hassan Abul, Chairman of Abyat with the presence of senior executives from both sides.

“The agreement reflects the Authority’s efforts in utilizing Saudi ports’ location which is positioned on international trade lines, to create regional centers for distribution and shipping, along with facilitating the supply chain and trade in the region.” said H.E Mr. Hariri.

He added: “King Abdulaziz Port’s strategic location creates competitiveness for investors who are interested in building integrated logistics centers that provide value-added services, as part Mawani’s initiatives which align with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy as well as Saudi Vision 2030.”

While Mr. Yasser Hassan Abul expressed his enthusiasm over the partnership with Mawani to build a regional center that supports Abyat’s logistics operations at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, especially when the port is strategically positioned on international trade lines, noting that as per the agreement, the center will be developed in the supporting services area at the port to provide all the necessary services according to the best quality and safety standards.

As Mawani continues the efforts of transforming the 19 km2 port, which has been linked to Riyadh Dry Port, to provide integrated operational services, with 43 multipurpose berths, and the capacity of 105 million tons, King Abdulaziz Port is equipped to receive the largest vessels, and handle different types cargoes, as well as containing a container terminal, two general cargo terminals, and ancillary terminals, while having ship repair yard which contains two floating docks capable of accommodating vessels of up to 215 meters.

While Mawani manages nine state-of-the-art ports that are strategically positioned to connect Asia, Europe, and Africa, as they represent a gateway for international trade, and influence the maritime traffic, as Mawani’s corporate strategy aims to increase Saudi ports ranking on the Logistics Performance Index, expand the container throughput capacity, and position Saudi Arabia as global logistics hub.