CAIRO: The Kuwait and Gulf Link Transport Co. (KGL) has reached an agreement with the Egyptian Ministry of Transport setting the end of this February as a deadline for receiving technical financial offers for a new maritime dock lining the soon-to-be-erected container station at Damietta port, reported Al-Qabas. The new container-handling station will emerge as the biggest of its kind in the Middle East. Egyptian Transport Minister Mohammad Mansour explained that $1bn will be invested to transform Damietta into a global hub for advanced carriers, through building a modern container-handling station stretching over one million square meters and with a depth of 18 meters. Mansour pointed out that six Egyptian, Arab and foreign reputable firms were competing for a tender to build the ports and container stations project floated by the ministry. The minister asserted that drilling works to construct the new dock would kick off next April, signaling the launch of the first phase of the container station project, under the agreement signed between the ministry and KGL last May. Rashid furthered that the project contract s signing, which was attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif, dictated installing a modern container station drawing on $1bn in investments and adding 2300 m in combined dock length, in addition to supplying dock service equipments to serve fifth and sixth generation cargo freighters. He affirmed that the first phase of the mega project would be completed within two and a half years, and was designed to process a throughput of 1.5 m containers per day. KGL was incorporated in 1982 and has since provided port management, logistics, transportation, manpower supply, travel, tourism and car rental services.
