New Port of Aqaba Project receives an excellent response to call for Expressions of Interest

Fifty EOIs were formally registered prior to the deadline on 10th July, 2008. ADC's Chief Executive Officer, Imad Fakhoury, said that the "quality and geographic spread of the companies expressing an interest in the project is very pleasing.

It reflects the hard work that ADC and its professional advisors have undertaken to structure the transaction and then market it internationally to all of the key players in the relevant sectors".

The second phase of the tender process for the project, the issuance of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to all formally registered Interested Parties, occurred on 13th July, 2008.

These companies and/ or consortia will need to demonstrate the appropriate technical/financial capability and experience to design, build, finance, operate, and transfer a similar or larger port facility as well as satisfy the port-related regulatory and legal requirements stipulated by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).

ADC will select a Short-List of Qualified Bidders from the companies and/or consortia that submit a Statement of Qualification within the prescribed deadline.

The Qualified Bidders will then be provided with a Request for Proposal (RFP) during the final stage of the tender process and invited to submit a formal proposal for the New Port of Aqaba project.

ADC expects that a Preferred Bidder will be selected and the Development Agreement negotiated by the end of 2008.

The Preferred Bidder will then have responsibility for building and operating the New Port of Aqaba.

This facility will consist of three new, distinct terminals situated on a large basin: a General Cargo and Ro-Ro Terminal, a Grain Terminal, and a Ferry Terminal.

The new General Cargo and Ro-Ro Terminal will be a multi-user, multi-purpose terminal with a potential capacity of 2.0 million tons per annum (tpa) of break bulk, 400,000 vehicles and 100,000 livestock.

The new Grain Terminal will have a dedicated berth, a storage terminal with truck loading facilities, a bagging plant, and conveyer connections to storage silos; it will handle imports for the Jordan Silos and Supply General Company (JSSGC), private importers, and trans-shipments to other markets.

The new Grain Terminal will be able to handle 3 million tpa with the addition of a second grain elevator.

The New Ferry Terminal will have an annual capacity of 1.6m passengers, 10,000 buses, 80,000 trucks and 200,000 cars.

In addition to the above, the Preferred Bidder will also take over the operations of the existing Ferry Terminal and build a new Marine Services basin, the latter being transferred to ADC upon completion.

The New Port is strategically positioned to serve Jordan's captive market, the Levant, and the re-construction efforts in Iraq. In order to leverage new business opportunities, the selected New Port developer/operator will also be offered industrial land adjacent to the New Port.