Ship chandlers & ship supply at Khalifa Bin Salman Port BHKBS

KBSP opened on 1 April 2009 on 110 hectares of reclaimed land at Hidd, 13 km from Bahrain International Airport. APM Terminals Bahrain operates it under a 25-year concession with the Government of Bahrain, and YBA Kanoo holds a 20% share. The Ministry of Transportation’s Ports and Maritime Affairs regulates the port.^[1,2,3]

—1,800 m of quay: 900 m container, 600 m general cargo and 300 m multi-purpose, with 15 m alongside at chart datum. The port has four post-Panamax cranes, 12 RTGs, 840 reefer plugs and handles ships up to 360 m LOA or 14,000 TEU.^[2,4]

—Access is the 30-mile Bahrain Approach Channel, at least 13.40 m deep and 250 m wide. Permitted draft is 13.1 m at any time and 14 m at high water, with 1 m minimum under-keel clearance, no tidal constraints and a 900 m turning basin dredged to 15 m.^[2]

—Besides containers, the port handles general cargo, Ro-Ro, break-bulk project cargo including heavy lifts, and cruise calls through a passenger terminal with customs, immigration and duty free.^[2,4]

KBSP is linked by road to Saudi Arabia over the King Fahad Causeway, about 25 km away, and has run a bonded sea–air hub with Bahrain International Airport since December 2021, with a two-hour bonded transfer between port and airport. In February 2025, APM Terminals and the Ministry signed a letter of intent to double the terminal’s throughput by 2030 and grow Bahrain–Saudi trade.^[5,6]

—The Hormuz disruption stopped cargo at KBSP completely in March 2026 and disrupted it through part of April. After war-risk cover for the inner Gulf was cancelled, main lines bypassed the port, and APM Terminals adapted it to work as an inland clearance depot for cross-border trucks and feeder traffic.^[12,11]

—The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) linked King Abdulaziz Port, Dammam, with KBSP through MSC’s Gulf Shuttle, a short-sea service of up to 3,000 TEU. General cargo then recovered: about 105,500 tonnes in May and 112,600 in June 2026, nearly four times June 2025.^[13,12]

—As of 31 August 2026, Maersk still had most ocean bookings to and from Bahrain suspended and was offering landside routings via Salalah and Khor Fakkan. Check your carrier’s current position before routing cargo or stores through KBSP.^[14]

—Pilot and tugs. Pilots work 24/7 from a station 1 nautical mile from the port and are booked through the planning department. Three 45-tonne-bollard-pull ASD tugs are booked through Bahrain Port Control by telephone or VHF 74, which is also the VTMS working channel.^[2]

—A visiting-vessel permit from Ports and Maritime Affairs to sail and dock in Bahraini waters. Anyone offering port services in Bahrain’s ports or territorial waters needs a licence under the Ports and Marine Navigation Law (Legislative Decree 61 of 2006, Art. 14), so use licensed suppliers.^[3,7]

—Bunkers: Bapco supplies low-sulphur marine diesel, and high-sulphur fuel oil for scrubber-fitted ships, exported from the Sitra wharf. ASRY launched two new bunker vessels for Bapco Refining in August 2025. In March 2026 Lloyd’s List reported Bapco operations suspended and Bahrain’s ship movements limited by pilot availability, so confirm supply before nominating.^[8,9,10]

—Port facilities include a seafarers’ centre and a medical centre. Gate hours are 06:00–22:00 on weekdays and 08:00–16:00 at weekends and on public holidays, which matters for truck deliveries of stores.^[2]

—Provisions, stores and cargo moves at KBSP: post a requirement and chandlers, agents and forwarders serving Khalifa Bin Salman Port answer with sealed bids. Suppliers never see the vessel’s name until award. If you supply ships in Bahrain, be the first supplier in.