Page 133 - February 2022 Issue 603

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Onur Yigiter (CEO – AMSTEEL):

The shortage of skilled & qualified workers is the main
challenge facing us in the Saudi market

AMSTEEL is 100% Saudi owned company which focused on port and steel services located in King
Abdullah Port of King Abdullah Economic City. In line with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 vision,
AMSTEEL strives to provide world class port services especially for the export oriented industries of Saudi
Arabia. It focuses on improving service quality of the companies who need port accesses by offering most
efficient port operations in the Kingdom. Addition to port operations, AMSTEEL is the best solution provider through its own logistic fleet and warehous-
ing capability for port users and guarantees the safest, the highest quality and the most efficient port operations.
Al Bayan Magazine met Onur Yigiter, CEO of AMSTEEL on the sidelines of Breakbulk Middle East and following is the interview conducted.

* Can you give us an idea about your company? going extraordinary change and transformation and this requires a lot of
- In 2015 AMSTEEL was established to provide logistic services to mainly skilled workforce. Bringing these expertises to Saudi Arabia isn’t that easy,
steel producers and traders who need port accesses. With the support of King and we have some internal issues such as the authorities requesting to see
Abdullah Port, AMSTEEL successfully provided high quality services to main more skillful local people employed in companies like us, and at the same
port users. In 2016, the company started to support local companies for their time our operation requires more labor workforce like drivers, crane opera-
rebar and structural steel needs by providing some solutions such as cut and tors, etc. and this is very hard to find in the market. In addition, skillful techni-
bend, sand blasting, logistics etc. In 2017, after successful promoting King cians are required to make good maintenance for our equipments, spare parts
Abdullah Port, AMSTEEL became terminal operator for bulk, breakbulk, and in the supply chain especially that Covid broke many supply chains and
general cargo vessels which want to use King Abdullah Port. In 2018, the equipment suppliers have been delaying our deliveries. All these are main
company started terminal operations in its own terminal as well as offering challenges facing us.
transportation services. It also became vendor of Aramco and obtained
Aramco approval for sheet piles coating project. In 2019, we did almost 3 mil- * What is the added value behind your participation in Breakbulk Middle East?
lion tons and started to handle Agri Bulk Vessels. In 2020, our volume - We have been participating in this exhibition since 2018. We are relatively a
increased to 3.2 million tons and the number of Trans trucks has come to new port and in bulk & breakbulk we are a new terminal also. Therefore, this
almost hundred. In 2021, our volume reached 4 million tons and we had exhibition is an important platform for us to show the entire market that King
around 150 trucks and we are targeting more than 4 million tons as well as Abdullah Port has a very bulk and breakbulk terminal and that it is operated
growing our transportation fleet more than 2 hundred units in 2022. by very high calibre operator. Getting market knowledge that you are available
and offering a lot of services takes time. Thus, our intention through Breakbulk
* What are the main challenges facing you? Middle East is to interact with the market players & meet with customers and
- One of the biggest issues in Saudi Arabia now is that the country is under- shipping lines.

133 AL BAYAN ECONOMIC MAG - ISSUE 603 - FEBRUARY 2022