Saudi Arabia’s Bahri, formerly known as the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA), is continuing to build up its fleet and expand its route structure worldwide.
It has recently taken delivery of its fourth 300,000dwt Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) ordered from South Korea’s Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries and will take delivery of another six from the same builder over the next eighteen months.
At the same time, it has ordered four 80,000dwt bulk carriers from South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard at a combined cost of $120 million for delivery by 2020.
These ships will be used to transport essential grains, such as barley, wheat and corn, to Saudi Arabia as part of the country’s plan to decrease its dependence on oil and diversify its economy.
In the general cargo sphere the company has expanded its ro-ro operations to the US Gulf Coast using a fleet of six 26,000dwt RoCon ships completed by South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo in 2013/14.
These 225m by 32m vessels have a ro-ro capacity of 24.800 m2 and a container capacity 364 TEUs.
Bahri currently owns and operates 86 vessels, including 39 VLCCs, 36 chemical/product tankers, 6 multipurpose vessels, and 5 dry-bulk carriers. Report by Jim Shaw
