Top 10 Oil and Gas Terminals in the Middle East
Oil and gas terminals serve as import, export, and storage gateways and logistics hubs for crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and petroleum products. They also provide the infrastructure to process, refine, and distribute these commodities worldwide, supporting the energy supply chain. Here are the top 10 oil and gas terminals in the Middle East.
1. Ras Laffan Port, Qatar
Overlooking the Arabian Gulf on Qatar’s northeast coast, the port is the world’s largest petrochemical and hydrocarbon export facility.
Located within Ras Laffan Industrial City, the port occupies a strategic location on shipping routes between the Far East and Europe.
The port covers 56 square kilometers and is designed to export liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), condensate, petroleum products, and sulfur (sulfur derived from natural gas extracted and processed from the North Fields).
The port has six LNG berths, four of which can accommodate Q-Max tankers with a capacity of 266,000 cubic meters. The remaining berths can accommodate Q-Max tankers and conventional LNG carriers.
Six additional berths handle condensate, PEGASE, GTL products, and refined products. The port also has a sulfur berth and six dry bulk berths, two of which are also designed to handle roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels.
The port has a total of 14 berths, equipped with fuel and fresh water facilities, as well as support vessels for offshore exploration and production operations.
Two oil berths, 54 kilometers from the port, can accommodate vessels ranging from 85,000 to 320,000 deadweight tons. The port handles approximately 500 vessels and 10 million tons of cargo annually.
2. Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia
The Tanura Terminal, located on Saudi Arabia’s east coast, is the world’s largest oil port, handling 90% of the country’s hydrocarbon exports and approximately 20% of global hydrocarbon consumption.
The terminal can accommodate over 2,000 vessels annually, loading and unloading 16 vessels simultaneously. Over 9 million barrels of hydrocarbons are transported daily.
Additionally, the terminal features dedicated terminals for crude oil, LPG, bunkering, and other services. The North Terminal handles LPG, naphtha, crude oil, refined products, and fuel oil. It also includes four interconnected offshore islands with crude oil and fuel oil berths.
The Juaymah Crude Oil Terminal, located 18 nautical miles northwest of Ras Tanura, houses an oil platform, a control platform, and six single-point mooring buoys for crude oil and fuel oil.
The Juaymah LPG Terminal features a double berth for loading refrigerated LPG onto LPG carriers. However, Ras Tanura has a storage capacity of over 50 million barrels.
3. Fujairah Port, United Arab Emirates
Located 70 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz, the port is the world’s second-largest bunkering hub, serving over 12,000 ships annually.
The port operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and features deep-water berths, bulk truck berths, large berths, and the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone.
Established in 1983, the Port of Fujairah is a major port in the Middle East, handling crude oil, fuel products, and bulk liquids. It boasts comprehensive storage facilities and the ADCOP oil pipeline.
The Port of Fujairah is a key maritime gateway to the Indian subcontinent, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and North Africa. It handles approximately 19.9 million tons of cargo annually.
In addition to liquid cargo, the port also handles dry bulk cargo such as aggregates, limestone, and other bulk cargoes, as well as general cargo, containers, and cruise ships.
4. Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) and Khor Al-Amaya Terminal (KAAOT), Iraq
These two major Iraqi crude oil export terminals are located deep in the Arabian Gulf, 50 kilometers southeast of the Al-Faw Peninsula.
They are sister terminals in Iraq, forming two major crude oil export platforms. The Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) is larger, with multiple berths, while the Khor Al Maya Oil Terminal (KAAOT) is smaller.
The Basra Oil Terminal is a steel island structure with four berths and two platforms capable of simultaneously accommodating four tankers, ranging in deadweight from 35,000 to 350,000 tons.
The port has a throughput capacity of over 3.3 million barrels per day, while the Khor Al Maya Oil Terminal has an export capacity of 400,000 barrels per day.
Both ports are heavily guarded and controlled by the Iraqi Navy. The US military provides essential support and training for security operations.
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5. King Fahd Industrial Port (Yanbu), Saudi Arabia
The port is located on the Saudi Red Sea coast, 20 kilometers south of Yanbu. It has a 25-kilometer-long natural harbor, protected from offshore intrusion by a reef running parallel to the coast. It is Saudi Arabia’s largest crude oil exporter. Moreover, the port is the country’s primary departure point for crude oil, refined petroleum products, and petrochemical exports.
The port has eight terminals, seven of which are operational. These terminals include a general cargo and container terminal, a bulk cargo terminal, an export refinery terminal, a crude oil terminal, a Yanbu refinery terminal, a domestic refinery terminal, and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal.
The port is located at the intersection of shipping routes connecting the Far East, Europe, and North America, with convenient access to the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The port handles a wide range of cargo, including crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), petrochemicals, chemicals, bulk and general cargo, and roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels.
The port handles approximately 1,800 vessels annually, handling over 85 million tons of cargo and 201,470 TEUs of containers.
6. Dammam Port, Saudi Arabia
Dammam Port, also known as King Abdulaziz Port, is located on an artificial island approximately 5 nautical miles from shore, about 50 kilometers south of Ras Tanura. Furthermore, it is the largest port in the Arabian Gulf and the second-busiest port in North Africa and the Middle East.
Serving the oil industry’s exports, the port has 43 cargo berths, a small dry dock, and several auxiliary terminals, including a refrigerated cargo terminal, a bulk grain terminal, and a ship repair yard.
The port also has extensive storage facilities, including grain silos, open storage yards, warehouses, and cold storage. It handles approximately 20.55 million tons of cargo annually and handles approximately 2,100 vessels.
7. Salalah Port, Oman
The deepwater port, surrounded by a protected harbor, is Oman’s largest port and features a container terminal, a general cargo terminal, and a liquid bulk terminal. It is also the world’s largest exporter of gypsum.
The container terminal has six berths and an annual throughput of 5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The liquid bulk terminal has two berths with an 18-meter draft and an annual throughput of 6 million tons. It handles fuel oil, methanol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ethylene glycol (MEG), and vegetable oil.
The general cargo terminal has 13 dry bulk berths and two liquid bulk berths. The port also handles containers, roll-on/roll-off (RORO) vessels, cement, steel, wheat, resins, plastics, livestock, and other cargoes.
The port handles approximately 1,500 vessels, 2.85 million tons of cargo, and 3 million TEUs annually.
8. Jebel Ali Port, United Arab Emirates
This port is located in the Jebel Ali Free Zone, 35 kilometers southwest of Dubai, and is operated by DP World. It is the world’s largest industrial port, with 77 berths and facilities for aluminum, cement, and natural gas processing.
The port has been merged with Mina Rashid Port, increasing its cargo handling capacity. Currently handles 14,000 ship calls and 77.38 million tons of cargo annually, including 11 million TEUs.
The port can accommodate Ro-Ro vessels, container ships, bulk carriers, general cargo ships, and tankers. Island Marine Container Terminal 3 is under construction, and the West Terminal is undergoing renovation. The tanker berth can accommodate vessels up to 295 meters in length and 14 meters in draft.
9. King Fahd Industrial Port (Jubail), Saudi Arabia
Jubail Port is located in the Arabian Gulf, approximately 90 kilometers north of Dammam. Jubail Industrial Port consists of two ports: King Fahd Industrial Port in the north and Jubail Commercial Port in the south. Each port is protected by its own breakwater.
As one of the largest industrial ports in the Middle East, Jubail Industrial Port provides access to the world’s largest petrochemical complex.
The port imports raw materials for local industries and exports refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, fertilizers, and sulfur.
This port plays a key role in Saudi Arabia’s leadership in the global oil and gas industry. With 34 berths, it serves as the primary loading and unloading point for petrochemicals in Jubail Industrial City.
The port handles approximately 44.8 million tons of cargo annually and welcomes approximately 1,650 vessels.
10. Mina Al Ahmadi Port, Kuwait
Located on the northwest coast of the Gulf, 30 kilometers south of Kuwait City, this port serves oil tankers, product tankers, and natural gas carriers.
Its terminals include the South Terminal, the New Oil Terminal, the North Terminal, the Shuaiba Product Terminal, and Mina Abdullah Sea Island.
The port serves as a vital resource connecting Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KOC) and the national economy. It served as the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility; this service has since been replaced by the new, larger Zour LNG terminal.
KOC owns and operates pilot vessels, tugboats, and ships. The port handles approximately 41 million tons of crude oil and petroleum products annually and welcomes 1,500 ships.
