Al Khair News

Saudi Arabia’s Ras Al-Khair Special Economic Zone (SEZ) said it is seeking local and foreign investors to help boost the Kingdom’s maritime infrastructure.With an initial area of 20 square kilometers, Ras Al-Khair SEZ, operated by the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, is an expanding zone with two focus areas, The King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services, and the Offshore Cluster supply chain. The SEZ is located next to Ras Al-Khair Port, the Kingdom’s newest industrial port.Ahmed M.

A joint venture between HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, Saudi Arabian Development and Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments has held a groundbreaking ceremony for an engine factory in Saudi Arabia.The engine plant will be built in an area of 150,000 square meters in the King Salman Global Maritime Industries Complex in Ras Al-Khair near Jubail, a city in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. It will begin full-scale production in the fourth quarter of 2025.The maximum annual production capacity will be 30 two-stroke low speed engines…

In the 45 years since the Arab Shipbuilding & Repair Yard (ASRY) opened on reclaimed land in Bahrain, the Middle East has become one of the world’s ship repair hotspots. A broad range of shipyards now service both regional and global markets.Regional yards have a ready market, with hundreds of offshore rigs working across the region together with the service ships that support them. Then there are thousands of tankers and gas carriers that arrive each year to load energy cargoes for far-flung destinations.

International Maritime Industries (IMI), the largest shipyard in the MENA region, has expanded its partnership with Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) through a technical service agreement to further enhance its shipbuilding capabilities.Under the agreement, HHI will provide technical assistance and consulting services in Very Large Crude Oil Carrier (VLCC) engineering to IMI, reflecting its commitment to supporting the development of IMI’s shipbuilding capabilities and engineering services since its launch in 2017.The agreement was signed by Dr.

International Maritime Industries (IMI), which describes itself as the largest shipyard in the MENA region, and offshore construction firm Lamprell on Tuesday announced the successful completion of the load-out and float-off of the first jackup drilling unit being constructed for IMI.The jack-up rig will now undergo intensive mechanical completion and commissioning before being transferred to IMI’s yard in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, for final commissioning before going on a contract…

International Maritime Industries (IMI), which describes itself as the largest maritime yard in the MENA region, has signed a Joint Venture Agreement with Zamil Offshore to deliver Offshore Support Vessel (OSV) building and maintenance, repair, and overhaul services (MRO) in Saudi Arabia."The long-term agreement signed with Zamil, one of the Middle East’s largest shipyards and owners, operating a fleet of over 60 diversified vessels in Saudi Arabia, aims to enhance IMI’s localization efforts in the Kingdom and boost its lifecycle support services…

Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco has signed a memorandum of understanding with energy industry construction and installation firm McDermott to explore the use of McDermott's SAFIRA fabrication yard for construction services for Saudi Aramco's upstream and downstream projects.McDermott's SAFIRA fabrication yard is being developed within Saudi Aramco's King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services in Ras Al-Khair. Once fully functional, the yard will have the capability to fabricate and assemble offshore platforms and jackets…

Saudi Arabia’s International Maritime Industries (IMI) has signed a vessel purchase agreement (VPA) with the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and a subsequent sub-contract agreement with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to build one very large crude carrier (VLCC).Hyundai Heavy will transfer architectural designs and related technological know-how for the building of very large crude carriers (VLCCs) to IMI. It will build one 319,000 DWT Class Crude Oil Carrier  with delivery expected in October 2021."This project award further strengthens the business relationship between IMI and its shareholders…

Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Co (Dussur) has signed a joint venture with Saudi Aramco and Hyundai Heavy Industries to manufacture engines and marine pumps for marine and electric power plants, it said in a statement on its website.The venture will be located in the kingdom's Eastern Province at Ras Alkhair, and the marine engine manufacturing facility will be the first in the Middle East and North Africa region, the statement said.Reporting by Nafisa Eltahir

Bahri, the world's largest owner and operator of very large crude carriers, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to build its first very large crude carrier (VLCC) at the International Maritime Industries (IMI) yard in Saudi Arabia.The agreement signed with IMI and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), one of the partners in IMI, sees Bahri committing the new mega-shipyard its first order before the end of July 2019.Following the placing of the order, IMI will engage HHI as a sub-contractor to build the vessel in South Korea. HHI, in turn, will help facilitate the transfer of knowledge enabling IMI to independently build VLCCs to international shipbuilding standards in Saudi Arabia.Abdullah Aldubaikhi…

American international technical professional services firm Jacobs will deliver design engineering services for what will be the largest shipyard on the Arabian Gulf: the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services at Ras Al Khair, Saudi ArabiaA press announcement stated that Jacobs has been selected by SEPCO Electric Power Construction Corporation to deliver engineering services for Packages 4, 5 and 6 of the Complex.Jacobs Buildings and Infrastructure Senior Vice President and General Manager Patrick Hill said: "This award continues Jacobs' long-term commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where we have…

Kenz Figee, supplier in the design, production and maintenance of innovative lifting- and hoisting solutions for the offshore- and harbor industries, recently opened its branch office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.Together with partner NAMA development enterprises, Kenz Figee will operate from its own office in the Fotouh Al Khair Centre in Abu Dhabi. From this new office Kenz Figee will expand its presence in the Middle East region.Jan-Pieter Klaver, CEO of Kenz Figee, said: “With almost 200 years of experience in designing and building marine cranes and offshore equipment, the presence of Kenz Figee in Abu Dhabi will enable us to extend our global footprint as a specialist lifting and hoisting supplier in the Middle East region.""The office will be led by Willem Misdorp…

Offshore engineering firm McDermott International Inc will close its acquisition of Chicago Bridge and Iron Co NV on Thursday, creating an integrated onshore and offshore services group that will expand its presence in the Middle East.McDermott's offshore engineering and construction work will combine with CB&I's onshore skills including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and power plants. McDermott will bolster its service offerings in Saudi Arabia, where it is already adding facilities and has contracts with national oil company Saudi Aramco.David Dickson, McDermott's chief executive officer who this week met with Saudi Aramco executives in Houston, said on Tuesday the kingdom "is going to be a big part of our future.

Lamprell announced its exclusive collaboration with GustoMSC to develop the Lamprell Jackup-43 (LJ43) jackup rig design, creating an advanced drilling rig with the highest level of safe, efficient and reliable drilling capabilities. The LJ43 drilling rig will combine Lamprell’s system integration capability, detailed engineering expertise and construction experience with the robust and advanced technology of GustoMSC designs. The rig utilises GustoMSC’s leg design with a custom designed hull and living quarters developed by Lamprell. It includes various high-end technology features such as a new innovative blowout preventer handling system and enhanced skidding capabilities via a X-Y cantilever, which will enable optimised and highly efficient drilling.

The self-propelled cutter suction dredger (CSD) Huta 14 has resumed operations for Saudi Arabian owner Huta Marine following two-years of renovation work performed by Royal IHC. The overhaul, which involved replacing Huta 14’s three large diesel engines, as well as integrating an electrical installation for the underwater pump engine and drive, was completed by IHC Middle East based in Dubai with support from IHC’s Asset Upgrade Services department in The Netherlands. IHC Services was responsible for the engineering aspects of the rebuild…

Saudi Arabian maritime transport and logistics company Bahri has appointed Abdullah Aldubaikhi as its new chief executive office. Aldubaikhi’s appointment, which takes effect January 1, 2018, comes as the company gears for a new phase of expansion following several months of growth, according to Bahri chairman, Abdulrahman M. Al-Mofadhi. Aldubaikhi joins Bahri from Saudi Agricultural and Livestock Investment Company (SALIC), where he served as CEO for six years. He previously held senior management roles at several firms, including Afwaf Investment, Awalnet and DowLog Technology Company.

The Woodmac report we saw offered us cause for pause — “Strong activity from the (major oil companies)” while “national oil companies have tightened their purse strings.” What Maritime Reporter found, was that national oil companies — nation-builders, for many — are putting their money in affiliate shipyards. The hope of two, new shipbuilding giants is jobs, innovation, national survival and export security. The model is to invite those who have done it before: Koreans, Japanese, French and a contractor with offshore and marine experience.

Saudi Aramco said it has awarded the first major contract in the planned construction of a $5.2 billion shipyard complex designed to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil exports. The national oil company said on Tuesday it awarded the contract for dredging, reclamation and marine structures to a consortium comprising Saudi Archirodon Co and Huta Hegerfeld AG Saudia Co. Aramco, which is leading construction of the shipyard, did not reveal the value of the contract but said it would be completed by 2020. Among other things, it includes building 4,500 metres of concrete quay walls and wharves, as well as breakwaters, at Ras Al Khair on the east coast.     (Reporting by Andrew Torchia)

Bahri, Lamprell, Hyundai Heavy are partners and will build VLCC's starting in 2019. Saudi Aramco plans to build the Gulf's largest shipyard through a joint venture with three companies that it announced on Wednesday, a $5.2 billion project aimed at helping reduce the economy's reliance on oil. Low oil prices have drastically slowed Saudi Arabia's economy so it is trying to create manufacturing jobs and produce goods and services which traditionally it has imported. Its strategy is to use large amounts of government money and the procurement budgets of big state-run enterprises, such as national oil firm Aramco, to attract foreign expertise to develop strategic industries.

Saudi Aramco, Dussur – the Saudi Arabian Industrial Investments Company, and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to jointly collaborate on engines and pumps business development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The MOU lays out an engine and pump business cooperation framework, through the formation of a joint venture (JV) to manufacture two-stroke engines, four-stroke engines and marine pumps; including sales and aftersales services in the MENA region. The manufacturing facility will be co-located with the maritime yard in Ras Al-Khair, at the King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and services, where it will develop synergies with several complementary ventures.

Developers of a new shipyard in Saudi Arabia say the facility will be the largest maritime yard in the world providing a range of services, including large shipbuilding, large ship repair, offshore rigs fabrication and offshore support vessel repair. The new facility, a joint venture between state oil giant Saudi Aramco, the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, Lamprell and Hyundai Heavy Industries, will be located in the eastern Saudi port of Ras Al-Khair, north of Jubail on the Persian Gulf. It is planned to be fully operational by 2021.

A Reuters report quoting  Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih said that the country expects a huge ship repair and shipbuilding complex that its national oil company Saudi Aramco is developing at Ras al-Khair on the kingdom's east coast to cost over 20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion). The government will finance the infrastructure of the complex such as dredging and other work as it did with other cities Jubail and Yanbu that have become major industrial hubs. The maritime complex is a joint venture between Saudi Aramco, Saudi Bahri, South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries and Lamprell. The project will help generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs…

Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), the world’s largest shipbuilder, announced today that Royal Inauguration Ceremony of King Salman Global Maritime Industries Complex was held at Ras Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia with the attendance of His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on November 29. The ceremony was also attended by Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince; Khalid A. Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources; Amin al-Nasser, president and CEO of Saudi Aramco; Choi Kil-seon, Chairman of HHI; Chung Ki-sun, Executive Vice President of Corporate Planning Office of HHI. King Salman Global Maritime Industries Complex…