March 1977 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News

MTS President Lauds Saudi Arabian Ports

Saudi Arabian ports have greatly improved the problems of congestion and berthing facilities, reported Paul Semack, president of Marine Transport Service, Inc.

(MTS) of New York, N.Y., which operates ro/ro vessels with container capability between Galveston, Texas, Baltimore, Md., Philadelphia, Pa., and the Saudi Arabian ports of Jeddah and Dammam. Mr. Semack made this comment in a speech at a luncheon meeting of the International Executives Association at the Summit Hotel, New York.

"The ports in Saudi Arabia are now as good as most ports in the U.S. In Dammam, Saudi officials have added eight more berths for a total of 22, and expect to more than double this number by 1979," Mr. Semack said.

Port congestion in Dammam is now down to an average of seven days, compared with 60 and even more days in the recent past, the MTS official noted.

Helping to ease congestion, Mr. Semack said, is a Saudi preferential berthing policy for ro/ro carriers. However, ro/ro carriers must put up a bond making them responsible for moving cargo off a pier or terminal area within 72 hours. If consignees fail to pick up the cargo within the designated time limit, the carrier forfeits the bond, Mr.

Semack said.

"These regulations, in effect, have made the ro/ro lines serve as a terminal operator and consignee in order to eliminate the congestion problem," he said.

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