Participants in the ceremony included ACT’s chairman and Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner H.E. Dr. Kamel Mahadin, Mr. Peder Sondergaard, APM Terminals Africa–Middle East Regional CEO, ADC CEO H.E. Eng. Ghassan Ghanem, ACT’s CEO Soren Hansen, as well as other members of the ACT management team.
Speaking at the event, ACT’s Chairman and ASEZA Chief Commissioner H.E. Dr. Kamel Mahadin, said the berth expansion project “is an important step for the city of Aqaba which will boost local investment. The expansion contributes to higher productivity and port capacity for shipping lines to expand trade”. Aqaba is a city centrally positioned in the Levant, and a safe socio-political environment. The expansion comes at a strategic time as trade volumes are expected to increase and the Iraq market grows. He further added that the ongoing development of the terminal’s facilities fall in line with ACT’s expansion plans, emphasizing the company’s commitment to the best service levels for customers.
APM Terminals Regional CEO, Mr. Peder Sondergaard noted the strong partnership between ACT and Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) and significant market potential. “Aqaba is strategically located at the crossroads of four countries and three continents. Our USD 140 million investment in the port reflects our strategic plan to create a trade center for the Red Sea and Middle East inland destinations”.
In his welcoming remarks at the event, Mr. Soren Hansen stated “This is the first step of our expansion program, completed on schedule and a major step forward in our goal to double the port’s capacity and become a new regional shipping hub.”
Hansen further pointed out that this development is expected to increase the terminal’s annual capacity to 1.5 million TEUs and bolster the terminal’s throughput capacity. Furthermore, the new cranes can handle a reach of 22 rows capable of handling the largest containerships entering global trade with 30 moves per hour. The port can work three ships simultaneously.
ACT recorded a 16 percent increase in 2012 container throughput to 833,000 TEU.