Mina Salman

Mina Salman is a seaport located in Manama, Bahrain. Mina Salman was a natural harbour prior to the establishment in 1962 of the port covering 80 hectares. It is the primary cargo port and customs point of Bahrain. The port has 15 container berths, enabling it to handle 2.5 million tonnes a year.NamingThe port is named after Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I, the grandfather of the current King.HistoryThe Manama harbour, where Mina Salman is now located, was first mentioned in Islamic texts that have been dated to 1345 AD. The area was occupied in 1521 by the Portuguese, and the Persians gained control in 1602. The current Al Khalifa dynasty have ruled the country since 1783. The harbour was not suitable for ocean liners, with reports of ships having to anchor up to 6 km offshore. Approach channels were built in 1954, and a pier was built in 1956, which was mainly used by dhows. In 1958, it became a free port and in 1962, a deep water wharf composed of six berths was constructed. The wharf allowed cargo to be directly loaded onto the port for the first time. In the 1960s, the port had refrigeration, storage facilities and equipment for handling large ships.