The lights at the Patenga Container Terminal in Chittagong are brighter than usual. Dispatcher Abdul stared closely at the surveillance screen, as three more cargo ships docked within half an hour, and the sound of bridge cranes almost never stopped - the Saudi Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company announced on the same day that the terminal had entered full load operation, which means his night shift will become increasingly busy. And five days later in Dhaka, the shipping department office just signed an approval document: the Matabari deepwater port shipbuilding and repair complex has been approved in principle. The simultaneous promotion of two billion dollar projects has brought a historic turning point to the shipping pattern in the Bay of Bengal.

Saudi operators to operate at full capacity and invest another billion

On July 15, 2026, Saudi Arabian Red Sea Gateway Terminal Company announced in Dhaka that its Chittagong Pattenja container terminal had officially entered full capacity operation. As the first foreign-owned port project in Bangladesh, RSGT signed a 22 year franchise agreement with the Chittagong Port Authority in June 2024, with an initial investment of $170 million to complete the site infrastructure upgrade and core equipment installation.

RSGT has disclosed that the terminal is expected to achieve a container throughput of 400000 TEUs by 2026, accounting for approximately 12% of the total container volume in Chittagong Port; By 2027, the throughput is expected to exceed 500000 TEUs, increasing the proportion to 17%. The CEO of the group stated that based on long-term confidence in the economic growth potential of Bangladesh, the group plans to invest up to $1 billion in the country's ports and logistics sectors in the future, continuously improving the efficiency of regional maritime transportation. At the launch ceremony, the Executive Chairman of RSGT stated that they will continue to introduce modern infrastructure, green technology, and lean operating systems to create local employment and long-term industrial value. Officials such as the Finance Minister of Bangladesh and the Deputy Minister of Transport of Saudi Arabia attended the event.

Matabari Deepwater Port Shipbuilding Complex Approved

On July 21, 2026, the Bangladesh Ministry of Shipping has agreed in principle to the Matabari Deepwater Port Green Shipbuilding and Repair Complex project, with a total investment of approximately $1 billion, using a pure social capital model and not forming government debt. The project is funded by Australian AIS Marine Investment Company, with China Harbour Engineering Company as the technical partner. It is located on approximately 200 acres of land under the jurisdiction of the Port Authority of Chittagong, and adopts the landlord port operation mode. The ownership of the land and core assets is reserved to the port side, and all facilities constructed by the investor will be transferred to the government after the franchise period expires.

According to the plan, the project will construct a dry dock with a length of 600 meters and a width of 95 meters, which can cover the construction, regular dock repairs, and emergency maintenance needs of large commercial ships along the Matabari Port and the Bay of Bengal, reducing the cost and time consumption of large domestic ships traveling to Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and China for repairs. If the subsequent approval goes smoothly, the project is expected to create 1200 to 1300 direct employment opportunities and drive about 2600 indirect employment opportunities. At present, the proposal has been transferred to the Public Private Partnership Bureau for technical and financial evaluation, and the construction period and franchise period have not yet been announced.

Two major projects promote the dream of a shipping hub in the Bay of Bengal

The simultaneous promotion of two major shipping projects will reshape the pattern of Bangladesh's shipping industry in multiple dimensions. In terms of port throughput capacity, the full capacity operation of the Pattenga Port has significantly increased the annual processing capacity of Jida Port, providing a more efficient sea transportation channel for import and export trade, shortening the time of goods being held in port, and reducing trade logistics costs. Keywords: Infrastructure News Network, Terminal Infrastructure, Logistics

In terms of ship repair services, the completion of the Matabari dry dock will fill the gap in local repair of large ships in Bangladesh, ending the history of large merchant ships traveling to Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and China for repair, and significantly saving time and capital costs for ship owners. In terms of regional strategic positioning, the combined effect of the two major projects will significantly enhance Bangladesh's position as a node in the Bay of Bengal shipping network, attracting more international shipping companies and logistics enterprises to layout in Dhaka and Chittagong. From a macro perspective, the acceleration of this round of investment attraction is a vivid portrayal of the landing of the the Belt and Road maritime economic cooperation in Bangladesh, which injects strong new momentum into regional trade and industrial chain coordination. After the completion of the two major projects, Bangladesh will take a solid and crucial step towards its ambitious goal of becoming a regional shipping hub in the Bay of Bengal.Editor/Gao Xue