Project logistics leader Almajdouie Group has established overseas offices in Korea, Europe and the US in anticipation of re-invigorated business, the company reported.

It follows an improvement in the Gulf’s economic fortunes and announcements that EPC contractors have been named for major projects across Saudi Arabia and stalled projects are receiving the go ahead.

The group is also focusing on expanding its business in the adjacent states of the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain for which its branch offices will be key to promoting onshore, freight forwarding and management services.

Experienced and qualified staff has been recruited and equipment purchased ahead of a revival in business orders.

The vice president for logistics at Almajdouie Group, SI Mustafa, said the project logistics industry had been heartened by the latest developments coming as they did at the end of a year marked by lower cargo volumes and stalled projects.

 Notwithstanding the hard times, Almajdouie managed to move a substantial volume of 570,000 cbm to project sites in the Saudi eastern and western wings. And although that was less than 2008 and 2007 levels, the performance had to be viewed in the context of a slowdown in project implementation and delays, Mustafa commented.

“The international market being touchy and competitive, it was a year full of challenges - even for the commercial sector. But the brand name of Almajdouie, and its past credentials, gave no quarter to competitors,” the company stated.

Almajdouie embraces several activities including transportation and erection of heavy, super-heavy and oversized cargo, transportation of general and containerised cargo and customs clearance at all ports of entry and exit.

The portfolio also covers container handling in fully equipped and massive terminals, logistics consultancy, preparation of DEL and applications for chemical permits and refund of custom duties.
While the global financial crisis raged, the Almajdouie team was ready with contingency programmes to face specific situations.

Shuwaihat and Al Dour projects

A major achievement of Almajdouie’s Abu Dhabi office in 2009 was securing the Shuwaihat desalination and power plant projects. Almajdouie successfully delivered three units of evaporator modules, each weighing 4,300 tonnes to the job site and had them installed on their foundations by self-propelled modular transporter equipment.

One of the mega power plant projects secured by Almajdouie was Al Dour in Bahrain. The project is under execution and the company has deployed staff and equipment for moving heavy equipment including transformers, turbines and generators by barge from the seaport to  a jetty near the project site. This entails roll-on and roll-off and seafastening and unseafastening operations.

Almajdouie Heavy Lift Transport and Engineering (MHL) remains a major player in heavy lift haulage in Saudi Arabia and has been a favourite of customers across decades, said Mustafa.

“While MHL presents a proficient approach and has a successful background, the factor customers admire most is its policy of recommending innovative and economical methods that reduce freight and transportation costs significantly,” he said.

Maaden project

A project for Hyupjin Shipping Company, a forwarder of Hanwa Saudi Contracting Co of Korea, testified greatly to MHL’s capabilities.

MHL had to discharge and deliver over-sized cargo at Jubail Commercial Port against a previous plan to deliver some of the same cargo at Jubail Industrial Port.

By discharging the cargo at the former port only, the client was able to save thousands of dollars.

Almajdouie transporting one of the evaporators in the Maaden project

The next challenge was to haul the consignment including 12 evaporators which weighed approximately 170 tonnes each and measured 25 m in length, 7.5 m in width and 7.5 m in height. It would have been a Mission Impossible for many as the overarching Mizan Building on the way out of the port came in the way leaving only a few inches on either side of the evaporators for maneuvering across a rather narrow passage through the building. MHL engineers took a calculated risk and guided the consignment with great skill and accuracy successfully clearing the obstacle.

Along the way, street lights, signals, advertisement posts and electric cables had to be removed and reinstated. The final destination was the Maaden phosphates project, some 160 km away. The movement started on June 1 and was completed on October 7 as the evaporators were transported in batches.
Needless to say, the client was more than elated.

Gas filtration skid

Another successful contract was transporting a 90-tonne gas filtration skid 80 km from Gulf Steel Works in Jubail to Ras Azour.  The skid was 17.4 m long, 11.7 m wide and 14.5 m high.  The journey took five days.

The operation necessitated taking approvals from authorities including the police, Saudi Electric Company, Saudi Telecom Company and Aramco and providing adequate support for bridges while the cargo moved on them.