The General Organisation of Sea Ports announced that they have extended the deadline for tenancy applications at the Bahrain Logistics Zone to 12 June 2008.
The extension follows numerous requests from applicants for an extension to the deadline, which was originally set for 5 June 2008. It comes after an overwhelming initial response which has seen available plots at the site already over-subscribed by a significant amount.
Hassan Al Majed, Director General of the General Organisation of Sea Ports, said: “The Bahrain Logistics Zone is a unique opportunity for companies engaged in logistics activities in the region, and is set to be a key location for those serving the Northern Gulf.
“We want to make sure we get the right fit for this opportunity – that means companies which can take full advantage of the location, the facilities and the services the Bahrain Logistics Zone offers.
“For this reason, even though we have received far in excess of the required number of applications, we are happy to extend the deadline in response to a huge number of applicants’ requests.”
The Bahrain Logistics Zone, which was launched on 13 May 2008, is the region’s first boutique logistics area that focuses on re-export and value-adding logistics activities. It is a customs-free logistics area regulated and operated by the General Organisation of Sea Ports alongside Bahrain’s new state-of-the-art Khalifa bin Salman Port, aiming to provide simplified, streamlined and efficient multimodal transfer of cargo.
Hamad Fakhro – Assistant General Director, said: “The charter of the Logistics Zone is to stimulate foreign direct investment into Bahrain, create employment, and serve as a catalyst for the growth of the logistics industry in Bahrain.
"Companies which sign up for tenancy at the BLZ will benefit from a wide list of services which will aim to ease the set-up process and cut the cost of doing business at the zone.
“This makes the BLZ a very appealing prospect for many logistics organisations as well as other companies with specific logistics requirements”.
Due to BLZ’s charter to contribute to the development of Bahrain and to the oversubscribed demand for the space a rigorous selection process for applicants is in place to find companies which can make best use of the BLZ’s offering.
The BLZ will be fully integrated with the port, which will have a capacity of 2.5 million TEUs, and is in close proximity to the causeway linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and the proposed causeway to Qatar, as well as to Bahrain International Airport.
The location of the Bahrain Logistics Zone is perfect for handling logistics requirements for the entire Gulf, and particularly for those wanting to reach markets in the Northern Gulf such as Kuwait, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the proximity of many different modes of transport make the site an excellent multimodal hub, which can handle shipping via air, road and – importantly – through the capacity of the new port.
