US Chamber of Commerce holds panel concerning the future of Haifa’s port
Chairman of the Haifa Port Company board of directors Eshel Armony said that Israel’s growth is “fantastic” and the population keeps growing.
By HAGAY HACOHENAn aerial shot of Haifa during Israel's annual Independence Day airshow, April 19, 2018(photo credit: ANNA AHRONHEIM)
Top Israeli officials discussed the near future of Haifa’s port with interested US companies during a special Thursday panel held by the US Chamber of Commerce as the State of Israel is seeking to privatize it. Speakers included Transportation Ministry director-general Ofer Malka, COO of the Israel Ports Company Dov Frohlinger and others.“We’re happy to be a hub and help spread the word about the opportunities in the Israeli market,” Josh Kram of the US Chamber of Commerce told the audience. He pointed out that the US Chamber of Commerce, with 3 million companies under its belt, is the largest in the world.Malka began by explaining that, up until two weeks ago, Israel saw itself as “an island nation” as its relations with her neighbors across the borders were not very close in terms of commerce. “This was changed with the Abraham Accords,” he said.“This has a strategic meaning,” he said, “as the gulf of Haifa can be connected with the Persian Gulf via a train service. From there, the entire east is open such as the Chinese market. These are things we were not [even] imagining before.”“We suffer from a lack of railways,” he admitted, “only recently we began investing large amounts of money in it. We are now connecting other parts of the country to the city of Tel Aviv, where most businesses are located.” He claimed the Tel Aviv Red Line will be completed by the end of 2022. By 2030, Israel would invest $50 billion in connecting the various parts of the country in an effective network of transportation. With a nod to the 30 million companies represented in the US Chamber of Commerce he said that “all tenders are international.”Head of planning at Israel Railways Nataly Katz said that Israel doesn’t have much experience with high-speed train services and presented the ‘Regional Peace Tracks’ program between Beit She’an and Sheikh Hussein Bridge, which is the border with Jordan, as an already approved project. She also discussed the future expansion of the Ben-Gurion Airport station. “You are more than welcome to participate in future tenders,” she said.NTA head of metro project directorate Meir Shamra presented the proposed transportation network to serve the future of Israel and welcomed US companies to offer their services. “We will be very happy to see them [the American companies] submit their offers,” he said.Frohlinger explained that 99% of the trade Israel does comes via ports, which handle roughly 58 million tons per year. The only dips in cargo and container traffic, he joked, “were when the US got sick.” Even during the COVID-19 pandemic a small growth was registered. Haifa handles more cargo than any other port in the country.“We’re proud of the fact we provide services to all ports,” he said, “we now have a national trade platform which manages 100% of the containers. This eliminates all the paperwork when containers are coming to port, we are the only country in the world to have such a system 24/7, even on Yom Kippur,” he joked.He expressed his hope that after Haifa’s port is privatized, the Ashdod port will follow.Chairman of the Haifa Port Company board of directors Eshel Armony said that Israel’s growth is “fantastic” and the population keeps growing. “If you own the Haifa port until 2054, you’re going to own the last port to be privatized for many years to come,” he said. The tender is for the next 34 years.“Anyone coming into this deal will have to consider the long-run,” he said. “We are selling a 2 km. long water-front and a port at the same time.” The Israeli side is offering “a solid company” which is also “the most efficient port in Israel.”He joked that the dock workers argue a lot, “but when they work, they are the best.”The seafront is expected to be a lucrative real-estate deal as it could host super-yachts.The future deal had been published in July, there will be an International Investors Conference in mid-October followed by a Roadshow.
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