Saudi Arabia has selected a list of 79 local and foreign companies to compete for contracts involving the construction of “multi-purpose stations” at 8 ports, a Saudi newspaper reported on Thursday. 

The Saudi Ports Authority (SPA) has approved the list and is expected to start procedures shortly to pre-qualify a number of those firms wishing to bid for the projects, the Arabic language daily Aleqtisadia said. 

It quoted SPA sources as saying the contracts involve the construction of “multi-purpose” stations at 8 of the Gulf Kingdom’s sea ports covering transport, operations, construction works and other services and facilities. 

“SPA intends to pre-qualify some of those companies to bid for these contracts, which aims to develop the maritime industry and transform the Kingdom into a major prosperous logistic centre,” the paper said. 

It did not provide further project details but referred to the awarding of similar contracts at the Red Sea Port of Jeddah on the Western flank of Saudi Arabia at a total cost of around 9 billion riyals ($2.4 billion), involving transport, operations and other services as part of plans to lift the Port’s container capacity by 70 percent to 13 million units a year. 

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@refinitiv.com)

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