GOP announces development of a building market at the Mina Salman Port

The General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) has announced its strategic plans for developing a Buildings Material Terminal (BMT) at the Mina Salman Port (MSP), Bahrain’s former main container and general cargo terminal. With the commencement of Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) in 2009 and the transfer of commercial operations there, and due to the high demand in Kingdom for imported building materials, the GOP has decided to re-develop MSP as a bulk building materials terminal.

The GOP intends to establish the new Building Materials Terminal on a lease basis that includes refurbish, maintain and operate. Within the next two months, GOP is expected to announce the release of a general tender for the financing, design and construction of the BMT at Mina Salman Port. GOP considers the construction of this dedicated terminal at MSP a strategic project of the utmost importance and is in line with the directives of the Government.

As a valuable commercial asset, the project site which is strategically located adjacent to the Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Highway and close to the centre of Manama will be utilised to manage the import and distribution of construction materials from the global market.

Commenting on the announcement Hassan Ali Al Majed, Director General GOP, said: “The GOP has embarked on a plan to re-develop Mina Salman Port as a bulk Building Materials Terminal to primarily address the increasing demand for building materials in the Kingdom.  As the region continues to enjoy the benefits of its continuing economic development, we are confident that our investment in this vital sector will generate attractive returns for Bahrain and the entire GCC. With the tender for the project soon to be released, we intend to partner with leading firms to build and operate the new BMT facility providing modern, efficient and competitive services in line with the best international standards.”

With mega construction projects on the rise in the kingdom, the cost of building materials has increased due to the shortage of local supply and production capacity. Currently Bahrain imports its building materials from local neighbouring countries in small vessels or barges. However, with the development of the bulk building materials terminal, which enjoys a deeper draught (10m), a larger market for construction materials is expected to be established.