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The Ministry of Oil announces the operation of the track for joint operations (Khafji and Wafra)

02-05-2024

The Ministry of Oil announced the operation of the route for joint operations (Khafji and Wafra) through the land ports in Nuwaiseeb and Khafji, in a step to facilitate the movement of workers, companies and contractors, in a ceremony organized today, Thursday, May 2, 2024, in the presence of Colonel Abdul Latif Al-Kharaz, Assistant Director of the Nuwaiseeb Port at the Ministry of Interior. Messrs. Khalid Al-Otaibi, Acting CEO of the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, Abdul Wahab Al-Mithen, Executive Vice President for Technical and Commercial Affairs, Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al-Hajri, Director of the Information Technology, Services and Relations Group at the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, Abdullah Sayed Hashem, Director of the Risk Management Group at “Gulf Oil”, Falah Al-Enezi, Director of the Management Support Group, Abdul Aziz Dashti, Advisor at Gulf Oil Company, Mutairan Al-Shammari, Head of the Public Relations and Media Team, Ahmed Safar, Head of the Information Technology Team, Mashael Iskandar, Chief Information and Support Technology Engineer, Muhammad Abdullah Al-Obaidli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Workers Union. At the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company and Abdullah Hammad Al-Rabah, President of the Petroleum and Petrochemical Industry Workers Union. The Ministry of Oil said in a press statement that the operation of the corridor for joint operations in Khafji and Wafra is considered the result of continuous work that has continued for years, specifically since 2019, which was crowned with success in starting its operation today, as the corridor allows workers in joint operations and contractor companies to move easily and smoothly through the border crossings. This is in line with the development of projects in the divided area and the increase in the number of workers. His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil, Sheikh Dr. Nimer Fahad Al-Malik Al-Sabah, reviewed the efforts made by the Ministry in operating the special track, as he said that the Kuwaiti-Saudi Joint Committee held a number of meetings starting in 2019, specifically in Meeting No. (105), during which the joint operations presented a study of the track. For operations through the Nuwaiseeb and Khafji ports to facilitate the movement of workers, companies and contractors. His Excellency the Undersecretary stated that on December 24, 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the government of the State of Kuwait and the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it included clause (10) that the two parties allocate a special road and corridor at the Al-Khafji and Nuwaiseeb ports for the transportation of employees of companies that care for the interests of the two countries in the divided zone and the divided submerged zone and their contractors. And their workers and marine equipment in both directions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in order to facilitate these companies’ carrying out their obligations in the entire divided and divided submerged area, and must continue to secure free access for labor, contractors, and equipment necessary to support the operational activities of joint operations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and to respond to emergencies. He pointed out that the Ministry of Oil addressed both the Ministry of Interior and the General Administration of Customs to facilitate the task of the engineering team from joint operations to visit the Nuwaiseeb port in preparation for developing preliminary engineering plans for the study, on January 9, 2020, and on February 2, 2020, the Ministry of Oil addressed both the Ministry of Interior and the General Administration of Customs to nominate Its representatives to attend the Kuwaiti side’s meetings regarding the road to the Nuwaiseeb port. Discussing the engineering plan Sheikh Dr. Nimer Fahad Al-Malik Al-Sabah said that on April 21, 2020, the meeting of the Kuwaiti-Saudi Permanent Joint Committee No. (106) was held, during which the engineering plan for the special road from Al-Khafji Joint Operations was discussed, and the heads of both sides expressed the need for Al-Khafji Operations and Al-Wafra Joint Operations to commit to implementing the item mentioned. In the memorandum of understanding and collective action, the two secretaries directed the necessity of coordination to reach a common vision for the private road that fulfills all future requirements to ensure its sustainability and with the highest specifications that achieve the smooth flow of movement for workers, companies and their contractors, taking into account security requirements and relevant authorities, and to submit periodic reports to the presidents of both sides. He stated that the meetings continued in this regard, as a meeting was held on March 3, 2021, for the subcommittee to study the security and administrative requirements for permits, the identities of the permanent joint committee for movement in the divided area, the joint vision for joint operations in both Khafji and Wafra for the private road, and the two sides’ review of the work vision. Submitting it for approval by the heads of both sides, following up on the line of work carried out by the joint operations (Al-Khafji - Al-Wafra) in this regard, and extending an invitation to the joint operations (Al-Khafji - Al-Wafra) to present the visions of the joint vision. His Excellency the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil said that in November 2021, the Ministry of Oil followed up on developments in activating the current path for the movement of permanent office employees and those working in joint operations, and the procedures that would facilitate movement for joint operations between the Ministry and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company, and on August 4, 2022, a committee meeting was held. The sub-committee studies the security and administrative requirements for permits, the identities of the permanent joint committee for movement in the divided area, and the joint vision for joint operations in both Khafji and Wafra for the special road and the special corridor for joint operations. The two sides stressed the necessity of postponing the options for the special road and the special corridor until the vision becomes clear. He developed the most appropriate option for him, as there is a trend from both countries to modernize the current crossings (Khafji and Nuwaiseeb), including infrastructure, facilities and corridors. Facilitate mobility He added that on January 13, 2023, the Ministry of Oil sent a letter to the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company regarding the necessity of providing the Ministry of Interior’s requirements regarding the route for the Nuwaiseeb port, and a meeting of the Kuwaiti-Saudi Permanent Joint Committee No. (112) was held on January 22, 2023, during which the current route was activated within the Khafji ports. And Nuwaiseeb to facilitate the movement of permanent office employees and those working in the joint operations (Al-Wafra and Al-Khafji), daily during working hours, and assigning the subcommittee to follow up on the ongoing procedures to modernize the current outlets, and merging the special road mentioned in the memorandum of understanding for the year (2019). He stated that on January 26, 2023, the Ministry of Oil held a meeting in which both the Ministry of Interior and the Kuwait Gulf Oil Company participated to accelerate the completion of the procedures and requirements of the route for the Nuwaiseeb port, and on February 7, 2024, a subcommittee meeting was held to study the security and administrative requirements for permits, and the identities of the permanent joint committee. Concerning movement in the divided region, and the joint vision of the joint operations in both Al-Khafji and Al-Wafra for the special road, and the corridor for the joint operations. Representatives of the Al-Wafra joint operations provided an explanation of the nature of the movement of its workers and those residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Al-Khafji) and the State of Kuwait (Al-Wafra) and the need for their movement between the two sides.