RAK signs US$100 million deal for development of Hulayla Industrial Park

The agreement was signed by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and Li Guowei, General Manager, China Harbour Engineering Co, at the Al Dhait Palace in the Emirate.

The marine works contract involves creation of a 2.5- kilometre long inward water channel which will provide direct water access to the Hulayla Industrial Park. The access channel would be dredged to a depth of 7 metres and a 5-kilometre long quay wall would be constructed around the perimeter of the port basin. The low-lying areas behind the quay wall would be reclaimed for setting up new industries.

Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Saud said that the government of Ras Al Khaimah is committed towards putting in place the right industrial and logistics infrastructure to support the rapid industrial development taking place in the Emirate. "I hope that the proposed marine works at Hulayla Industrial Park would offer location, infrastructure and logistics advantages to the industries and help them gain more competitiveness as well as attract new industries to the emirate," he said.

Li Guowei, General Manager of China Harbour Engineering Co, said that winning the marine works contract of the Hulaylah Industrial Park was a prestigious milestone for the company. "The awarding of the project is a clear validation of our technical expertise and the high quality standards that we set for ourselves. We expect to commence the works soon and hope to complete it within two years," Li Guowei added.

The proposed water channel would have a depth of 9 metres at the entrance and 7 metres along the main water body which would help ships to come close to the industrial park. Around 5.6 million cubic metres of sand would be dredged as part of the project, which will be used for reclamation of surrounding areas for industrial use.

Halcrow is the consultant for the project. The Hulayla Industrial Park is located around 15 kilometres North of Ras Al Khaimah City and close to the Mina Saqr Port.

Khalid Saffarini, Legal Advisor, Government of Ras Al Khaimah, Chris Parsons, Project Manager, Halcrow, Michel Sakkal, Director General of RAK Public Works and Services Department, Ven Govinda, CEO of Saqr Port Authority, and a number of officials were present for the signing.