A top-level global executive from the shipping industry Mr.Ronald Widdows, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of the container carrier Neptune Orient Lines Limited (NOL) met with Shaikh Daij bin Salman Al Khalifa, Chairman of the General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) to discuss current developments in the maritime industry.
During the meeting, Shaikh Daij highlighted the key developments taking place in Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) and the main initiatives and services that the port operator, APM Terminals Bahrain (APMT), is undertaking to accommodate large container vessels in the port. Mr. Widdows reaffirmed the importance of these services to meet current demand and to increase cooperation between APM and NOL with the hope that the number of vessels visiting the Kingdom as well as trade will increase in the near future despite the global economic crisis.
Mr. Widdows also pointed out that this year showed positive signs of improvement in the global economy. Concluding the meeting, Shaikh Daij expressed the Kingdom’s readiness to provide a vast array of essential services required to handle large vessels that reach a capacity of 10,000 TEU’s. Mr. Widdows expressed his confidence in the Kingdom’s ports’ development and efficiency, given the recent launch of KBSP and the potential of Bahrain’s transshipment business.
Following the meeting, Mr. Widdows toured the new Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Hidd where he saw first-hand the new state-of-the-art facility and the port’s capability in handling container vessels.
