ACT participates in TOC Container Supply Chain 2011 Conference in Dubai

Press release

Published October 5th, 2011 - 10:38 GMT

Aqaba Container Terminal

Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT), the Kingdom’s primary gateway to the shipping lines of the Red Sea and beyond, recently participated in the TOC Container Supply Chain 2011 conference held at the Dubai International Exhibition Center from September 25^th to the 27^th. The conference brought together regional leaders in the transportation and shipping industry to discuss future growth prospects and opportunities for the region.

ACT was represented at the event by Richard Davidsen, Chief Commercial Officer. Davidsen expressed his gratitude for the invitation to the event, along with the honor of being able to speak on maritime transport and shipping prospects for Levant and Iraq. He also addressed the importance of Jordan’s strategic position as a major gateway for Jordan and other landlocked areas of the Levant and Arabian Peninsula.

“There is a vital need to discuss ways in which we can overcome obstacles for maritime shipping companies in the Middle East, particularly after the turbulent economic and political events in the region,” commented Richard Davidsen. Regarding ACT’s experience in the Levant and Iraq, Davidsen added, “there is no doubt that Jordan’s stable political situation allows us to continue to develop Aqaba’s immense potential. We are making a substantial effort to promote the port as a fast, efficient safe and secure gateway to the Levant and Iraqi markets, now experiencing substantial demand for an array of goods and materials. We are looking to expand our network by forging close ties with leading global shipping companies to succeed further in this objective.”

The conference consisted of various workshops that encouraged the exchange of knowledge and ideas among specialists in the sector. Numerous issues were addressed, such as the opportunities and risks to foreign trade in the Middle East’s new political reality, the security development within the region, in addition to the impact of piracy and ways to combat it.

Due its annual operational volume of 850,000 containers, ACT is considered the economic and logistic hub of the Kingdom. The port of Aqaba operates as the favored gateway to numerous vibrant markets around the world.

Background Information

Aqaba Container Terminal

In 2003, the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC), on behalf of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, was on a mission to acquire a strategic partnership to improve the efficiency, capacity and the operational performance of the container terminal in Aqaba. After signing a Terminal Management Contract with ADC in 2004, APM Terminals (part of the global A.P. Møller–Maersk Group), took over the management and operation of the terminal.

A 25-year Joint Development Agreement (JDA) was signed between ADC and the Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) in 2006. Under the contract, APM Terminals Jordan operates, manages and markets ACT in addition to executing the Master Plan, which anticipates achieving a drastic increase of throughput capacity through a combination of physical and operational improvements.