List of 5 Major Ports in Bahrain

Bahrain is an island nation near the western coastline of the Arabian Gulf. It comprises 50 natural and 33 artificial islands. Bahrain is the third smallest country in Asia but has one of the most well-developed Asian economies. Petroleum products comprise over 60% of its exports and 10% of its GDP. COVID-19 dealt a severe blow to the tourism sector, which is a key source of valuable foreign exchange. Government policies, along with a strong commercial shipping sector, have improved economic growth, making Bahrain one of the fastest-growing and freest economies in the world. Bahrain’s seaport is crucial for trade in the Middle East.

Prosperity has also resulted from the development of the transportation and communications sector. Along with a stable banking and finance sector. Hence, Bahrain attracts notable foreign investment and is home to many multinational firms due to its ease of doing business.

Among the Gulf countries, Bahrain has the fastest transit time between its airports, ports, and logistics centers, enabling faster transportation of trade commodities. Other major export commodities include processed petroleum products, aluminum goods, and construction materials. Imports include chemicals and crude petroleum transported via underground pipelines from neighboring Saudi Arabia.

However, the country depends on the world to meet its nutritional needs. All food items, including cereals, grains, fruits, and meat, are imported as the nation needs more cultivable land. The Kingdom of Bahrain’s major trade partners include Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US, Oman, China, and Australia. Bahrain’s maritime trade runs through the following major Bahrain seaports.

Port of Mina Salman

The Bahrain Sea Port Mina Salman is the country’s main commercial port facility, housing the customs clearance department on its premises.

The port’s history dates back 5,000 years. The Dilmun civilization used it as a trading post, followed by Arabs in the 7th century.

In the mid-90s, the main port activities were fishing, pearl collecting, and building small boats. The navigation channel was narrow, and bigger vessels could not be accommodated. However, with the discovery of oil in the 1930s, Manama and the port began to develop.

Construction on the Bahrain Sea Port started in the mid-1950s. Adding numerous wharves, port equipment, and storage facilities made it a vital port in the Gulf region capable of accommodating huge ships. In the 1980s, the port went through further expansion and modernization.

The ports of Bahrain boasts an 800-meter dock with ten berthing facilities for general cargo. Three berths were newly constructed to handle the increasing bulk cargo. It included 15 container berths, each 200 m long, and could accommodate ships weighing up to 70,000 DWT.

Bahrain Sea Port of Khalifa Bin Salman

The Khalifa Bin Salman Port is a major Bahrain seaport located on the island of Hidd, northeast of the main archipelago. It became operational in 2009. The ports of Bahrain is privately operated by the popular operating company APM Terminals. The country’s government’s Ports and Maritime Affairs Department supervises the port. The port was recently expanded. It is envisaged to be a premier transshipment hub of the northern Arabian Gulf region.

This Bahrain seaport is linked to its major cities through roadways and is near Bahrain’s international airport. It also connects with Saudi Arabia via the King Fahad Causeway.

The port covers over 100 hectares and has an annual container handling capacity of almost 2.5 million TEUs. In addition to container goods, it handles bulk, breakbulk, general cargo, and passenger vessels. The cruise berth is one of the most beautiful, decked with recent technologies and amenities that increase tourism on the island. The island is also well known for water sports like scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing.

The port is constructed on reclaimed land and has enough land space to construct five berths. Plans include increasing port equipment by purchasing 13 more cranes and forklifts and increasing the port’s capacity to 3 million TEU in the next five decades.

Al Manama Harbour

It is also well-known as Bahrain Harbour. It is a commercial project on the northern coastline of Manama’s capital.

Construction began in 2003, and the two harbor towers were completed by 2007. They have more than 50 floors and are occupied by major private players and government departments such as the Ministry of Social Development and Tourism. Another significant building is the Harbor Gate, which comprises the country’s stock exchange, while the Commercial Park houses many international investment firms.

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The harbor also houses many residential buildings, luxurious apartments, and docks to receive yachts and cruise ships. The project aimed to attract foreign businesses to set up their offices in the capital. Also, it will boost the shipping sector since many shipping companies have regional offices in the Manama harbor.

Bahrain Sea Port of Sitra

The port of Sitra is the most significant oil and petroleum processing facility on the island of Sitra. Sitra is near the Khor Qhaliya, east of the main archipelago. The government of Bahrain owns and manages this Bahrain seaport.

The port contains many wharves leased to private companies for transporting their products. The Bahrain Petroleum Company operates six berths to handle petroleum products. Another berth is for adjusting smaller ships with a length and draft of 72 m and 5 m, respectively.

Aluminium Bahrain, or ALBA, operates a pier with two berthing facilities. One accommodates ships carrying bulk cargo such as coke and alumina ore, while the second handles metal products.

Gulf Petrochemical Industries leases one of the piers and two berths. The piers handle shipments of iron ore and aluminum, and one of the berths has a large storage area.

The port is linked to Saudi Arabia through an oil pipeline to Dammam. Sitra City also has oil storage tanks. The Sitra refinery is a few kilometers from the port. Before the area’s transformation into a major industrial region, it was known for producing date palms.

Port of Al Muharraq

The port of Al Muharraq is located on the island of the similar name near the Persian Gulf, just 3 km from Manama. It is one of Bahrain’s deepwater seaports. This Bahrain seaport is well-known as a tourist attraction and a pleasure port, not a cargo port. Yachts, motorboats, fishing boats, and passenger ships frequent it. It can accommodate the biggest vessels and has modern facilities, including waiting rooms, restaurants, etc.

The port has a rich history since the Portuguese occupied it. Later, in the late 17th century, it passed to the ruling dynasty of Bahrain. It developed as a port known for pearl diving and later evolved into a cruise port. It attracts water sports lovers since it is famous for scuba diving, sailing, and fishing.