Gautam Adani met Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday for the official handover of the Haifa Port to the Adani Group. Last year, a consortium of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) and Israel's Gadot Group had won the tender to privatise the Port of Haifa for a staggering USD 1.18 billion. The Adani Group holds a 70 percent stake in the consortium. Haifa mayor said the acquisition would turn the coastal city into an exciting Mediterranean hub.
The port's acquisition by Gautam Adani is being seen as a "strategic purchase" and probably the biggest foreign investment in this country in any sector.
Here are 9 things to know about Haifa Port in Israel
The Haifa Port is located in a natural, protected bay in northeast Israel. It is one of Israel’s three major international seaports and handles the transportation of goods, cargo and tourists. The port was officially opened in 1933.
The Haifa Port on Mediterranean Sea is the second-largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in terms of tourist cruise ships.
It is an important hub for international trade and has served as a crucial gateway for Israel to the rest of the world.
The port handles about 30 million tons of cargo per year and has several terminals to cater to the huge traffic it receives.
The Haifa Port houses the Carmel Terminal (the largest and most advanced container terminal in Israel), The East Terminal (longest container terminal in Israel), The Kishon Port, The Chemicals Terminal (only terminal in Israel for transportation and storage of chemicals) and much more.
A wide range of equipment is deployed to handle the cargo, including 90 yard tractors, 104 forklifts, 16 portal cranes and several gantry cranes, according to World Port Source.
According to its website (www.haifaport.co.il), the Haifa Port is the only port in Israel for tourists departing for Mediterranean cruises. Its passenger terminal handles cruise and ferry passengers, and houses a waiting area, currency exchange, parking, cafeteria and free WiFi.
The port was operated by Haifa Port Company, a government organisation. It employs over 1,000 port workers at the Haifa Port, with the number of employees only going up when cruise ships arrive at the port.
An Adani Group-led consortium has completed the acquisition of Haifa Port Company from the government of Israel.
