Saudi Port Gets Three Remote Controlled Cranes

The Saudi Arabian port of King Abdul Aziz in Dammam is installing three new cranes at the Dammam Container Port terminal that are the most technologically advanced the country has seen.

The cranes can be controlled remotely from a terminal office a kilometer away. They can lift weights of up to 65 tons, lift containers up to 44m off the ground and have a reach of 60m. This means that the port will be able to accommodate container ships up to 14,000teu. 

Dammam Container Port is operated by Hutchison Port Holdings subsidiary International Ports Services (IPS). “The new cranes are a quantum leap," said Jay New, CEO of IPS Dammam. 

King Abdul Aziz is Saudi Arabia's second-largest port, and a second container terminal is under construction there. The new terminal is being built by Saudi Global Port, a joint venture of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and PSA International. The new terminal will raise the storage capacity of Dammam Port to 4 million teu.

The terminal will have a 1,200m berthing area in 16.5m of water that will be built in two stages. A deeper water berth will be considered in the future. The project is considered one of the largest investment projects in port infrastructure for the country and is a joint Singaporean Saudi investment through the Saudi Public Investment Fund and the Maritime and Ports Authority of Singapore.