The new state-of-the-art fabrication yard will create over 2,000 jobs.

Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), the specialised entity responsible for constructing and managing ports in the Kingdom to the highest levels of efficiency and ensuring their value-add to the economy, and the National Petroleum Construction Company (NPCC), a part of Senaat Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday signed a hand-over deal of the land allocated by Mawani to NPCC for commencing the construction of a state-of-the-art fabrication yard in Saudi Arabia at Ras Al Khair Port.

In presence of Ibrahim Ismail Mohamed Alhosani, Councilor of the UAE Embassy in Riyadh; and Eng. Mohammed Al-Shammary, Vice president of Saudi Aramco’s Procurement and Supply Chain Management, the agreement was signed by Eng. Ahmed Al Dhaheri, CEO of NPCC, and Capt. Abdulla bin Saeed Al Shahrani, Director of Ras Al Khair Port, Mawani, as well as a number of high-profile officials of Saudi Aramco, Mawani and NPCC.

The ceremony was held on the sidelines of the iktva (in-Kingdom Total Value-Add) Forum and Exhibition 2020, organised by Saudi Aramco at the Dhahran Expo Centre in Dammam. NPCC is the Platinum Sponsor of the key event.

The hand-over of the land follows an agreement signed between NPCC and Saudi Aramco in 2018 to build a fully integrated fabrication yard and marine base in Ras Al Khair, at an investment valued at SAR 160 million, to be built over 450,000 square metres, the fabrication yard will create over 2,000 jobs.

“Saudi Arabia is currently undergoing a profound transformation across all vital economic sectors, in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to strengthen economic diversification, while focusing on developing the manufacturing capabilities of Saudi establishments led by Saudi professionals,” said Eng. Ahmed Al Dhaheri. “We are honoured to play a part in supporting the ambitious plans with the development of the new fabrication yard in Saudi Arabia. This has since long been a main area of focus for us, especially since we have several strong partnerships with leading national companies and institutions, such as Saudi Aramco.”

“We thank Mawani for their support in allocating land for constructing our dedicated fabrication yard in the Kingdom. We constantly strive to expand our operations in Saudi Arabia to meet the growing demand for our services across the country as well as to strengthen local capabilities, in line with iktva’s objectives. The new fabrication yard further underlines our unwavering commitment to the Kingdom. It reflects our tireless efforts to grow our operations in Saudi Arabia, which offers promising opportunities. We have a strong partnership with Saudi Aramco, underpinned by several contracts that include implementing its programmes to develop offshore fields in the Arabian Gulf.”

Capt. Abdulla bin Saeed Al Shahrani said: “We are delighted to hand over the allocated land to NPCC, which has demonstrated its commitment to invest in the Kingdom and develop the infrastructure and services of the Kingdom’s energy sector. We thank NPCC’s management for the project, as the Ras Al Khair fabrication yard will have a positive impact to the economy - from enhancing local manufacturing capabilities to providing Saudis with access to rewarding job opportunities. We are optimistic about continuing our constructive collaboration with NPCC to further accelerate the growth of the sector and local economy.”

NPCC is building on its efforts as a pioneering EPC major in the Kingdom’s energy sector. Complementing its strong presence in the Kingdom, NPCC has a long-standing partnership, spanning three decades, with Saudi Aramco.

Going beyond providing EPC services, NPCC’s in-Kingdom contributions involve providing opportunities to develop the talents and expertise of Saudi employees. Operating under Saudi management, NPCC’s Dammam-based office has about 25 Saudi employees while the wider NPCC family includes more than 155 Saudis working across various fields and units - from project and asset management to engineering and marine operations. NPCC plans to increase the number of Saudi employees to 300 by end-2020.

NPCC recently signed agreements with the Inspection Technology and Quality Assurance National Institute (ITQAN), National Transport & Contracting Company (NTCC) and the Saudi Petroleum Services Polytechnic (SPSP) to recruit more trained Saudi professionals. As part of its recently-launched recruitment campaign, NPCC conducted 150 interviews, leading to hiring 30 engineers, with 32 more on the waiting list.