Shipping Arabia, September 22, 2026 – Morocco’s Nador West Med Container Terminal has carried out its first vessel handling operation, marking an important operational milestone for the new Mediterranean port complex as it prepares its workforce and systems for container operations.
The first vessel arrival coincided with the completion of a specialized practical training programme for Moroccan personnel conducted by the Port Training Institute of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT).
Trainees participated directly in the terminal’s inaugural handling operation, applying skills developed during the programme to live container terminal activities. The practical training focused on preparing personnel for the operational requirements of modern container facilities, including crane operations and cargo-handling procedures.
Prof. Alaa Mahmoud Morsi, Dean of the Port Training Institute and Maritime Transport Research and Consultation Center, visited the terminal with Assistant Dean Ehab Hamdy as the programme concluded and the first vessel operation began.
Practical training was supervised by Hisham Hamdy, Head of the Crane Simulators Department, and Mohamed Gamal, Head of the Cranes Unit, with the programme combining technical instruction and operational preparation for container terminal activities.
Terminal management said the trainees demonstrated the ability to apply their training during the live operation, providing an early test of workforce readiness as Nador West Med moves toward wider terminal operations.
The programme forms part of cooperation between AASTMT and the Moroccan terminal to develop specialized port personnel and transfer operational expertise ahead of the facility’s ramp-up.
At the conclusion of the visit, Morsi presented the Port Training Institute shield to Najib Chikhi, CEO of West Med Container Terminal, recognizing the cooperation between the two organizations in delivering the training programme.
The milestone adds an important operational dimension to the development of Nador West Med as a new container and logistics gateway on Morocco’s Mediterranean coast, with trained personnel now participating in live vessel and terminal operations.
Source: Port Training Institute
