The Ports Development Company, the owner and developer of King Abdullah Port, has announced the completion of the building of a central operating room monitoring and linking together the X-ray customs inspection systems in the port. The room will also equip all customs inspection areas with a wireless network built according to the latest global technologies. The project has been successfully delivered to the Saudi Customs in King Abdullah Port, making the port a pioneer in equipping the central operations center and activating the 24-hour container inspection initiative. Managing Director of the Ports Development Company Eng. Abdullah Hameedadin said: "This achievement comes within King Abdullah Port's efforts to support the Saudi Customs initiative, as well as enhancing customs operations in the port in line with the goals of Vision 2030. It is also part of the efforts to strengthen the role of King Abdullah Port in supporting the growth and development of the Kingdom in cooperation with institutions and government entities, including the Saudi Customs, with the goal of revitalizing the commercial sector, through improving coordination and increasing efficiency – all under the organizing umbrella of our direct governmental partner, the Economic Cities Authority." The project was completed in record time over two phases; the first of which included equipping all customs inspection areas with a 1.75 gigabit wireless network using a technical method used for the first time in the Kingdom. Customs officers will be able to inspect containers through a tablet in the inspection area and send all comments to the customs system directly without having to do it the traditional way, which required leaving the site and returning to the office to input the information manually. In the second phase, inspection equipment in King Abdullah Port was connected using optical fibers to the central operating room, which was built using state-of-the-art infrastructure. In turn, the central operating room is connected to the customs systems through air fiber, with an incredible speed of up to 2 gigabits per second. The Saudi Customs confirmed earlier that successfully clearing containers within 24 hours of arrival depends primarily on establishing the import statement prior to the container's arrival, which would enable the department and government entities related to the customs clearance process to finalize procedures while the containers are still on the vessels. The department clarified that containers are transferred upon their arrival directly from the vessel to X-ray inspection and then to final clearance. King Abdullah Port, which is owned by the Ports Development Company, is the first privately owned, developed and operated port in the Kingdom. It is characterized by its strategic geographic location and its integrated services using the latest state-of-the-art technology and utilizing local and international experts. The port has been listed as one of the world's largest maritime shipping lines, and its development plan is proceeding at a steady pace and with a clear vision towards becoming one of the world's leading ports. – SG
