Work on Bahrain’s new Khalifa bin Salman Seaport in Hidd, which will serve the kingdom’s emerging manufacturing facilities and light industries, including the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), is making good progress.

Recently, Bahrain’s Works and Housing Ministry awarded a BD16 million ($42.44 million) contract to the Bokhowa Group for the construction of the port’s buildings.
Work was scheduled to begin this month (January) and will last 86 weeks.
Reclamation and other maritime foundation works were completed at the beginning of 2006 in a deal costing BD80 million.
The customs headquarters is also being built at Hidd Industrial Zone, costing BD5.03 million. It includes a main gate, a facility for containers and a control tower in addition to a string of buildings for operations, passengers, customs, health and immigration, customs clearance and health quarantine.
The project also features a centre to examine food, a cafeteria, stores to unload, distribute and re-export goods, and other structures for transit merchandise and aluminium exports in addition to maintenance workshops for equipment and boats.
The external works include parking lots and basic infrastructure facilities.
Last October, Ahmed Mansour Al A’ali Company was contracted for construction of basic infrastructure at the port.
The work includes cargo-delivery platforms, roads and lights networks, parking lots, high- and low-voltage electricity grids, water distribution and sewerage networks and telephone and IT systems, in addition to a rail for a giant crane.
The seaport infrastructure also includes buildings for cargo storing and control and workshops.
Once completed, the port will be able to handle more than 1 million teu and accommodate the world’s largest class of vessels. With a draft alongside of 15 m, the port will be able to handle vessels up to Post-Panamax size.
The target for completion of construction of Khalifa Bin Salman Port is late 2008. The new port will have a quay wall 1.8 km in length. With approximately 900,000 sq m of land it will have substantial room for growth over the current capacity at Mina Salman.
APM Terminals will be responsible for providing the operational equipment for the port. The Container Terminal will operate four Post-Panamax gantries and use a rubber tyre gantry container and a management system, thereby maximising space utilisation and enabling the terminal to handle a substantial increase in total annual throughput. On completion, the port will be the most modern in the Gulf, and be able to handle container ships with an efficiency matching that of the most productive ports in the world.
 A seven-kilometre road has also been constructed to link the seaport and the new Hidd Industrial Zone, in addition to a 1.8 km platform.
APM Terminals Bahrain has been awarded 25-year concessions to operate the commercial ports in Bahrain, namely Mina Salman, and Khalifa Bin Salman Port (once it becomes operational).
The company is a joint venture between Maersk A/S of Denmark and YBA Kanoo Holdings of Bahrain. It was established in 2006 with the purpose of operating port, marine and related services within Bahrain and its waters.
APM Terminals Bahrain at Mina Salman will provide a safe port facility for the efficient handling of imports, exports and transshipment cargo, both containerised and conventional, through the kingdom.  It is implementing a berthing window system, wherein vessels will be scheduled to arrive and depart within pre-agreed windows, thereby ensuring maximum productivity at the berth and minimum delays to the vessels.
In addition, the company has subcontracted towage and pilotage services to its sister company, SvitzerWijsmuller.
Trowers & Hamlins has advised Bahrain’s government on the privatisation of the two commercial port facilities.