Ports in Bahrain
The island nation of Bahrain lies near the western coastline of the Arabian Gulf. Comprising 50 natural and 33 manmade island clusters, it ranks as the third smallest country in the Asian continent. However, it also counts among the most developed Asian economies.Petroleum products comprise more than 60% of its exports and account for 10% of its GDP. Tourism is also a key sector bringing valuable foreign exchange and was the worst hit due to covid-19.
Also, government policies combined with a strong commercial shipping sector have boosted economic growth, making Bahrain one of the fastest growing and freest economies in the world.Prosperity has also resulted from the developed transportation and communications sector and a stable banking and finance sector. Hence, Bahrain attracts significant foreign investment and is home to numerous multinational firms due to the ease of doing business.
Among the Gulf countries, Bahrain has the quickest transit time between its ports, airports and logistics centre thus enabling faster transportation of trade commodities.Apart from processed petroleum products, aluminium goods and construction materials are the other major export commodities. Imports comprise chemicals and crude petroleum transported via underground pipelines from neighbouring Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain Ports
Port of Mina Salman
The seaport Mina Salman is the country’s main commercial port facility, housing the department of customs clearance in its premises. Located in Manama, the capital of Bahrain and an industrial and manufacturing hub, the port is the point of entry of more than half of the nation’s imports and handles most of its exports. Almost 80% of the cargo handled is containerised. It is also called the old Manama port since most maritime traffic is now being diverted to the new port of Khalifa Bin Salman.
Bahrain Ports
Port of Khalifa Bin Salman
The Khalifa Bin Salman Port is a major seaport of Bahrain located on the island of Hidd northeast of the main archipelago. It became operational in 2009 and is privately operated by the famous port operating company, APM terminals and is supervised by the Ports and Maritime Affairs department of the country’s government. The port was recently expanded and is envisaged to be a premier transhipment hub of the northern Arabian gulf region.
Bahrain Ports
Al Manama Harbour
Al Manama Harbour, also known as the Bahrain harbour, this is not a port or cargo handling facility but a commercial project on the northern coastline of the capital Manama. Spanning over 38 hectares, the buildings were constructed on the reclaimed land comprising the old dock of the city.
Bahrain Ports
Port of Sitra
The port of Sitra is the nation’s most important oil and petroleum processing facility. Lying on the island of Sitra near the Khor Qhaliya east of the main archipelago, it is owned and managed by the government of Bahrain. This oil handling facility also deals with dry cargo and liquid bulk such as petroleum, chemical products and liquified petroleum gas. The port handles more than 1000 vessels annually with a maximum draught of 12 m.
Bahrain Ports
Port of Al Muharraq
The port of Al Muharraq lies on the island of the same name near the Persian Gulf, just 3 km from Manama. It is one of the deepwater seaports of Bahrain, famous as a tourist attraction and a pleasure port, not as a cargo port. It is frequented by yachts, motorboats, fishing boats and passenger ships. It can accommodate one of the biggest vessels and is endowed with modern facilities including waiting rooms, restaurants, etc.