APM Terminals opens Aqaba Logistics Village expansion
APM Terminals, with local Jordanian partner Kawar Group, officially opened the expanded Aqaba Logistics Village (ALV) on November 12th, with a formal ceremony attended by Jordanian Prime Minister His Excellency Abdullah Ensour, the Minister of Transport His Excellency Ayman Hatahet and Chief Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone, His Excellency Hani Mulki, among other dignitaries, the company said in its press release.
The newly completed ALV Phase 2 facility includes 13,000 square meters (3.2 acres) of multi-purpose warehousing alongside 40,000 square meters (9.8 acres) of open yard. ALV Phase 2 has been designed to allow the flexibility of handling a wide variety of cargoes as regional and international trading patterns continue to evolve in the Middle East.
ALV’s developed land now encompasses 24 hectares (59 acres) with an additional 20 hectares (49 acres) of area expected to be developed within the next two years.
Aqaba Logistics Village CEO Hakam Abul Feilat said: “This modern multi-purpose facility represents a new step for the Port of Aqaba and the Kingdom of Jordan as we continue toward our goal of becoming an essential regional commercial and logistics hub. Our upgraded services and capabilities will help to create an efficient, economical and reliable supply chain for importers and distributors in Jordan, the Levant and inland points in the Middle East.” Over the past three years distribution services at ALV have been increasing by over 40% annually.
The new open yards will be used for storing containers, cars, timber and project cargo moving through the port. ALV’s two distribution center warehouses are located in close proximity to Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), which is a joint venture between APM Terminals and the Aqaba Development Corporation, and is managed by APM Terminals.The new facilities will focus on light manufacturing, including, garments and processing aid supplies alongside other goods moving in transit to Iraq.
ALV’s upgraded services include 16 mechanical dock levelers enabling high-capacity and high-efficiency handling of all cross-stuffing operations; warehousing capabilities which include storage, handling, picking, sorting, palletizing and other value-added services employing professional racking systems, and heavy-duty outdoor storage yards, along with available office space on upper levels of the buildings.
The International Committee of the Red Cross became the first major distribution contract concluded for ALV Phase 2 with plans to use Aqaba as a central supply hub for humanitarian aid supplies.
“The upgraded logistics village will ensure the highest standards of safety, efficiency and operational performance are installed for the world’s leading importers and exporters,” added Mr. Feilat.
Part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, ACT handled 787,000 TEUs in 2014. A terminal expansion project completed in October 2013 added 460 meters to the existing quay to create a total quay length of 1 km, increasing the annual container throughput capacity to 1.3 million TEUs.
