The company has extended its arm to Iraq with its operational partner Al Rashed United Shipping Services serving Iraq’s reconstruction projects since 2003 besides offering its services to the oil and gas industry

Al Rashed International Shipping Co, a division of the Al-Rashed Group, enjoys a pole position in the Kuwait shipping industry, thanks to an outstanding track record during the past years, a high level of staff experienced in shipping and superb customer service.

Launched in 1952, it wasn’t until 1991 when Kuwait faced the challenge of rebuilding its devastated infrastructure following the depredations of the Iraqi invasion that Al Rashed International Shipping Co saw the opportunity to diversify and build a much stronger and larger company.

Al Rashed International Shipping Co has since then grown and established itself as a leader in the maritime industry in Kuwait, says a company spokesman.

"As shipping agents, charterers, contractors, freight forwarders we take on all types of shipping requirements from specialised vessels to passenger ferries, freighters, container ships, bulk carriers roro vessels, lash vessels, cattle carriers and oil tankers," he says.

A complete range of freight services is provided by the company from ship-to-store transportation, customs clearance, forwarding and warehousing. Al Rashed International Shipping Co represents over 200 principals who perform shipping related activities throughout the globe in all segments.

The company has extended its arm to Iraq with its operational partner Al Rashed United Shipping Services serving Iraq’s reconstruction projects since 2003 besides offering its services to the oil and gas industry.

Al Rashed’s Iraq operation is a replica of the Kuwait modus operandi, extending services to all port related activities including agencies for vessels, containers, oil tankers, customs clearance and delivery for government project clients. Its oil and gas related works cover NPS, Schlumberger, Nabors and DPAB.

During 2006-2010, Al Rashed International Shipping Co, through its principal Jumbo Shipping, won a contract with KNPC and acted as handling agent for discharging/storing of reactors/separators via Shuaiba port for the prestigious Al Zour New Refinery & Clean Fuels Project. Later in 2015, it delivered reactors/separators via coastal barging to KNPC’s jetty built for the project, he says.

Between 2012 and 2013, Al Rashed International Shipping Co secured contracts for clearance, delivery and complete transportation including heavy equipment for South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction for Boubyan Island and Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Bridge, the latter linking mainland Subiya to Kuwait.

In 2014, the company secured a contract along with Lift & Shift, India for FDH JV (Fluor, Daewoo & HHI Joint venture) to perform port agency, handling, clearance and transport delivery of spool shipments for the Clean Fuels Project at Mina Abdulla.

Al Rashed International Shipping Co, through its parent company Al Rashed Group for Projects Holding, was contracted by Van Oord to arrange complete marine transportation, clearance services for the new refinery at Al Zour. KNPC contracted Van-Oord for performing reclamation of 65 million cubic metres of land, as well as extensive ground improvement. The works also include the construction of channel, basin for a future jetty and a barge dock, as well as associated infrastructure, he adds.

In 2016, the company secured a contract with TSH JV, a consortium led by Tecnicas Reunidas who is the lead logistic contractor for the Al Zour Refinery Package 1 along with Sinopec and Hanwa Engineering for transportation of refinery cargo including heavy lift of deliveries to the site.

Last year, Al Rashed International Shipping Co secured a contract with Siemens for delivering heavy lift equipment, containers and general cargo including customs clearance and equipment handling at site. It also won a project from Doosan for customs clearance and delivery of containers and heavy lift equipment.

Besides, it also secured a port agencies’ deal from ALE Middle East to handle barge shipments with super heavy/OOG equipment from Shuaiba to KNPC’s Al Zour new refinery.