Smart upgrade

Saudi Global Ports (SGP) commenced the first phase of its programme for the first and second container terminals in King Abdulaziz Port Dammam (KAPD), by appointing Jacobs Engineering Group as the civil engineering consultant. SGP, a joint-venture company formed between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Singapore’s PSA international (PSA), assumed management of the terminals in October 2020, making it the sole container terminal operator at the port.

Edward Tah, CEO of SGP, said: “The appointment of Jacobs has been a key milestone to this development and we are confident that their technical expertise, coupled with PSA’s global experience, will bring about a robust and innovative blueprint to deliver on SGP’s commitment. We are taking progressive steps towards transforming Dammam into a leading international container port equipped with digital and smart capabilities, and continue to contribute towards Mawani (Saudi Ports Authority) and the Kingdom’s plans for a transformational transport and logistics sector.”

Serving next gen mega vessels

SGP aims to leverage Jacobs’s expertise in port design and experience in supervising construction works across the Kingdom. First Container Terminal which has been in operations for more than 30 years will be upgraded; while Second Container Terminal will also be expanded to serve the next generation of mega vessels.

SGP and Jacobs will focus on incorporating sustainability to minimise the environmental impact of terminal operations. In addition, smart port designs will be introduced to enhance SGP’s benchmark productivity as well as upskill jobs for Saudi nationals. This includes allocating an area called the Sandbox to test new technologies in automation and connectivity, and develop new processes that will be subsequently deployed across SGP upon successful test bedding.