Key port information can also be found at:

Website of the Maritime Database on Shuwaik Port

Port Overview

Shuwaikh Port is considered the main commercial port for Kuwait. It is located at Latitude 29° 21' North, Longitude 47° 56' East. It has a total land area of 3,2 million square metres and 1.2 million square metres water basin area .The vessel traffic to and from the port passes through a Navigation Channel dredged inside Kuwait Bay. The length of the channel is approximately 8kms with a depth of 8.5 meters at minimum water tide level. The port has 21 berths of which 14 berths with 10 metres depth (Berth No 1 to Berth No 14), four berths with 8.5 metres depth (Berth No 18 -21) and three berths with 6.7 metres depth (Berths 15,16,17). Total length of all berths is 4055 metres. The Port can receive vessels of 7.5meters draft at any tide condition and vessels of 9.5meters draft at high tide. It is a tidal port with entry of deep drafted ships being restricted to the period of high tide, occurring twice daily. For tide times of Shuwaikh Port: http://www.met.gov.kw/Forecasts/marine.php

The vessels traffic to and from the port is passing through a Navigation Channel dredged inside Kuwait Bay. The length of the channel is about 8 Kilometres and its depth is 8.5 metres at minimum water tide level. During rush hours (Sun-Thu) entry of trucks are restricted within the inner city, which is limiting entry and exit to/from the port to non-peak hours since Shuwaikh Port is located inside this ‘banned area’. It applies for both light and heavy trucks, and tractors. Peak hourse are set to 06:30 – 09:30 AM and 12:30 – 15:30 PM, but with the new road development projects soon to start in Kuwait City (‘The Ghazali project’ and ‘the Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Bridge’) expectations are access to Shuwaikh Port and the nearby Shuwaikh Industrival Area will be further hampered during the construction phase. For further details see ‘ROAD’ section. Furthermore, a new deep-sea Bobyan Naval Port (also referred to as Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port) has started at Bobyan Island in the north-east of Kuwait. This is part of a huge and long-term development project also including additional infrastructure projects that will link up the new port with Kuwait City and other cities in the region.

Port website: Website of the Port of Shuwaikh

Port Picture

For a map / picture of Shuwaikh Port please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

Clearing Agents

There is no shortage of clearing agents in Kuwait. Custom clearance could be done through either global freight forwarders or individual local customs house brokers. The first scenario would mean that the terms of shipment could be negotiated with freight forwarders. For example door to door with the freight forwarder taking on all liabilities from pick up to delivery including documentation, clearance & transportation. The second scenario would require the sending agency/organisation to ensure they have all the documentation requirements covered to to be able to approach individual customs house brokers to complete custom clearance process. Delivery then will have to be negotiated separately. Labour is easily available and normally managed by the stevedores in the ports and by the warehousing companies in the warehouses.

4.2 Kuwait Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance

For further information on the port performance, please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For import or Export Shipments , THC is as following :

20'DV : K.D. 22

40'DV : K.D. 38

40'HQ : K.D. 50

OOG Thc for Kuwait, Additional KWD 10 is applicable if special gears used.

For further information on containerised cargo handling charges, please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Berthing Specifications

Shuwaikh Port has a total land area of 3.2m sq.meters and 1.2m sq.meters water basin area. The port has 21 berths; of which 14 berths have 10 meters depth (Berth No 1 - 14), four with 8.5 meters depth (Berth No 18 -21) and three berths with 6.7 meters depth (Berths 15,16 and 17). The total length of all berths is 4,055 meters.

Berth 1: Grain Handling for Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakeries Co.

Berth 8: Bulk commodities / cement for Kuwait Cement Portland Co.

Berths 12-13: part of Shuwaikh Container Terminal (SCT).

Berths 19-20: handles Reefer vessels and import of temperature controlled and frozen food.
This is also where the only cold storage warehouse in Shuwaikh Port is located, with a total storage capacity exceeding 28 000 m3, a cooling capacity of 11.500 tonnes divided into 20 chilled and frozen rooms with temperatures from -25C to +25C. Operated by Refrigeration Industries (RIC) http://ric.com.kw/

Berth 21: Livestock vessels.

For further information on berthing equipment and specifications, please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Port Handling Equipment

Is the port equipment managed by the government or privately? n/a

For more information on port handling equipment please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Container Facilities

The Shuwaikh Container Terminal covers an area of 26 hectares and is used to handle both imported and exported containers. It is equipped with 128 electrical points for the storage of refrigerated Containers. Further space, including modern office facilities are provided close to the Port’s general cargo berth.

Currently over two million square meters of space is available, covering all manners of buildings and amenities. Customs formalities and security inspections are carried out at the Container Customs Inspection Centre, located at the south of Shuwaikh container terminal where up to 30 trailer-mounted containers can be inspected at the same time.

For more information on container facilities, please select the following document;

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Customs Guidance

1.3 Kuwait Customs Information

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

Shuwaikh Port berths can handle multi purpose cargo from container ships to Bulk handling (Wheat, Flour, Oil, Charcoal, Pipes, Rice, Cement, Steel, Wood), Car Carrier and Ro-Ro vessels

Grain and Bulk Handling

Berth no.1 used for discharge from grain carriers and equipped with grain elevator that transfers grain through suction pipes from vessels directly to grain silos owned by Kuwait Flour Mills and Bakerys.

Main Storage Terminal

For information on storage facilities, please select the following document:

Kuwait Port Assessment Additional Information

Stevedoring

For a list of the  3 major stevedores for containers handling at Shuwaikh Port, please select the following contact list:

4.2 Kuwait Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Security

Key port information can also be found at:

Website of the Maritime Database on Shuaiba Port

Port Overview

Shuaiba Port is Kuwait’s second most important commercial port, situated 45 km to the south of Kuwait City. The port has commercial and container berths as well as an oil pier which is operated by Kuwait National Petroleum Co. Most of Kuwait’s maritime trade is carried out through the ports of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba.

Shuaiba Port is located 45 Kilometers to the South of Kuwait City. The Port is bounded by the Southern Pier of Ahmadi Port from the North Side and by Mina Abdullah from the South side. There are 20 Commercial & Container Berths at Shuaiba Port of 4068 meters total length. Depths of these berths range from 10 to 14 meters. Four of these berths (berth Nos 15, 16, 17, and 18) are used for Container Vessels. The Oil Pier has a water depth of 16 metres.

There are two small Craft & Barge basins at the port. The small Craft Basin has a depth of (4) meters and contain three piers of 100, 200, 175 meters length. The Barge Basin has a depth of (6) meters and contains four piers of 211, 157, 287, 250 meters length.

Port website: Website of the Al Rashed Group on Shuaiba Port

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

4.2 Kuwait Port and Waterways Company Contact List