Eight years after it was virtually destroyed by enemy air strikes in the Gulf War, Iraqi engineers have repaired the gigantic floating crane Khalid Bin al-Walid, the Baghdad newspaper Al-Thawrah reported on 21 April.
The crane, owned by the Iraqi Ports Company, has a reported capacity of 13,350t and is said to be one of the biggest in the Gulf region. It was built by a Spanish company in 1975 and first entered service in May 1977.
Director general of the Iraqi Ports Company Dr Hasan Fulayyih al-Ma’ini was quoted as saying: “Specialist foreign companies offered to repair the crane over a duration of four years and at a cost of $120m. Other foreign companies recommended its removal from service.
“But our heroic mujahidin continued to repair it after working out the necessary designs and plans.
“Thus the crane was returned to service after one year of work that continued day and night at a cost of 250m dinars [about $200,000].”
