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Major logistics centre planned for Saudi’s third city

By Andrew Hammond
Dammam logistics port from air Alamy
King Abdul Aziz Seaport in the city of Dammam is the largest on the Gulf
  • Dammam site will cover eight sq km
  • Centre will serve Gulf’s biggest port
  • City to get new metro system

A major logistics centre is planned for Dammam in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province that will be connected to an expanded Dammam port and a new city metro system. 

The regional logistics centre in Dammam, Saudi Arabia’s third largest city, will cover eight square kilometres and account for 55 percent of the Eastern Province’s targeted logistics handling by 2030, the CEO of the Sharqia Development Authority, Omar Alabdullatif, said in comments carried by the business outlet Argaam. 

Saudi Arabia’s national logistics plan, launched last year, envisions 17 out of 59 centres around the country being located in the vast eastern region, against only 12 in the capital, Riyadh. 

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The kingdom’s massive economic reform programme is designed to help Saudi Arabia become a global player in the energy, mining, logistics and industry sectors, to create jobs and raise its GDP, putting it into the top ten economies. 

The Eastern Province is the region closest to the other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, with an international airport in Dammam. Its King Abdul Aziz port is the biggest in the Gulf, with two container terminals. 

“Nearly 37 percent of the kingdom’s imports are carried out through the Eastern Province’s ports, topped by King Abdulaziz Port with 25 percent. In addition, King Fahd Airport accounts for 24 percent of the kingdom’s total air freight,” Alabdullatif said. 

In November a new bus system was rolled out in Dammam, which has a population of 1.5 million, and nearby Qatif. Alabdullatif said there were also plans to develop a metro service. A Dammam metro was first mooted in 2014, but nothing happened. 

Riyadh’s metro system is finally due to open sometime this year as the city prepares to host the World Expo in 2030. There are no plans at present for metro lines in Saudi Arabia’s second city, Jeddah, on the Red Sea. 

Dammam is already connected to Riyadh by a railway line, one of only three in Saudi Arabia. 

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