Chief Minister Datul Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor greeting DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Sulayem at Bilik Danum in the State Assembly building Wednesday.
KOTA KINABALU: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor is confident
that the strategic collaboration between Sabah Ports Sdn Bhd (SPSB) and DP World (DPW), a global port terminal operator will be a boon to Sabah’s aspiration to promote the Sapangar Bay Container Port (SBCP) as a key transhipment hub in the region.
“In the long run the vision is to improve landside and seaside connectivity throughout the State thereby reducing transit costs and time besides improving performance standards across the State’s entire supply chain,” he said.
“I am happy that DP World has chosen Sabah to expand its business and I invite DP World to look into other potential economic areas in Sabah,” said Hajiji during the meeting with Dubai-based DPW
Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer Sultan Ahmed Sulayem at the sideline of the State Assembly sitting today.
Meanwhile, Sulayem said DP World had been in negotiation to enter into a business collaboration with SPSB.
Sulayem who was ranked the 11th most powerful Arab business leader in 2023 credited Hajiji for taking the project to fruition.
“Sabah is a beautiful state and located strategically to become a logistic hub in this region,” he said, adding that DP World had chosen Sabah because of its stability, which is conducive for investments.
Sulayem said he would do his best to use his Fortune 500 connections to bring
businesses to Sabah.
SPSB, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad of which the State Government is a majority shareholder, operates eight terminals — SBCP, Sapangar Bay Oil Terminal, Kota Kinabalu Port, Kudat Port, Sandakan Port, Tawau Port, Lahad Datu Port and Kunak Port.
The State Govt Government has given approval for the collaboration with DPW for the operation and management of SBCP on Jan 4, 2023.
DP World has a network of more than 60 ports and terminals with the capacity to handle over 90 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) a year and across the world.