ADPC awards consultancy services contract to Parsons International Ltd for the development of Marfa Port

Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) and Parsons International Limited have signed a consultancy contract for the first phase development of Marfa Port, Abu Dhabi, to support fishing and marine recreational activities.

Following directions from the Abu Dhabi Government, ADPC tendered a contract for specialised consultants to develop Marfa Port. Parsons was selected to provide support to design Marfa Port so that it can accommodate more than 200 boats. The new contract embodies ADPC’s continuing commitment to ensuring the development of Western Region ports.

The town of Marfa is 95 kilometres west of the capital, Abu Dhabi. With an estimated population of 14,500, Marfa has a unique coastal topography in the Emirate featuring a rock hilltop spine running parallel to the coast. It also has a developed seaside Corniche and accessible public beach fronts.

The natural landscape and strategic location of Marfa offer excellent opportunities for development in residential, tourism, and commercial sectors. In addition, Marfa is supported by a large power and desalination plant.

The city serves as a major fishing centre in the Western Region, also attracting tourists and water activities enthusiasts. However, the existing condition of the port is inadequate for the fishing industry and requires upgrading and additional service buildings.

Commenting on the announcement, Tony Douglas, CEO of ADPC, said: “As we gear up for the official launch of Phase One of Khalifa Port and Kizad, we remain committed to the development of smaller ports in Abu Dhabi, particularly in the Western Region. We are confident that our agreement with Parsons will serve the purposes in hand and provide the expertise needed to deliver a much more developed port. Al Marfa Port in Abu Dhabi is an essential one as it has been serving as a fishing harbour for so long and needs to be redeveloped to match the high class infrastructure projects taking place in Abu Dhabi currently.”

Joseph A Mehula, President of Parsons MENA, added: “We are delighted to be partnering with ADPC in the project of developing Al Marfa Port. We at Parsons enjoy extensive experience in marine projects and are proud to be part of the development of one of the essential ports of Abu Dhabi. We look forward to working closely with ADPC and to deliver a project that ought to be one of the most interesting ones we have worked on.”

Founded in 1944, Parsons, an engineering, construction, technical, and management services firm with revenues of US$2.7 billion in 2011, is 100 per cent owned by the Employee Stock Ownership Trust. Parsons has an extensive history of delivering design, providing program and construction management, professional services, and innovative alternative delivery solutions to private industrial customers worldwide as well as to federal, regional, and local government agencies.

Khalifa Port and Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad)

ADPC, the parent company of Khalifa Port and Kizad, will launch the first phase of the mega-project currently under construction in Taweelah, in Q4 this year. It consists of both Khalifa Port and the adjacent Kizad (Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi). The first phase of the project, which will in time grow in planned subsequent stages to become two-thirds the size of Singapore, has cost AED 26.6 billion (US$7.2 billion).

Kizad will become one of the world’s largest industrial zones, and Khalifa Port will stand out as the only port in the Middle East and North Africa equipped with a semi-automated container yard operated by an integrated digital system, which is designed to cater for the future needs of the transportation sector and industrial sectors in the emirate.

The port covers 9 square kilometres, including the 2.7 square kilometres offshore port island. It is the only semi-automated sea port in the Middle East and is expected to become a highly competitive, leading global port, making a vital contribution to the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. About Abu Dhabi Ports Company

Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC) is a master developer of ports and industrial zones with the core objective to facilitate the diversification of Abu Dhabi’s economy by boosting development and trade. It will achieve this by managing and superintending commercial ports throughout the Emirate, supporting partners with their infrastructure projects and setting up new companies and joint ventures with partners who service and operate in the ports and industrial zones sector. ADPC was created in 2006 as part of the restructuring of the commercial ports sector in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and given control and regulatory enforcement power over all commercial ports assets previously owned by the Abu Dhabi Seaports Authority.

ADPC strives to be at the forefront of progress in industrial logistics and infrastructure and is currently focused on creating one of the world’s largest concentrations of industry at Kizad.

Visit: www.adpc.ae