CAIRO: The Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, has added another trade link from a leading shipping line, with the Kingdom’s Jubail Commercial Port connecting it with six international ports.

The new shipping service line, India Gulf Service 1, has been added by Hapag-Lloyd, a German international shipping firm.

It will connect the Saudi port to Jebel Ali in the UAE, Karachi in Pakistan, Mundra in India, Sohar in Oman, Shuaiba in Kuwait, and Um Qasr in Iraq. 

The new service will be launched weekly starting from Feb. 12 through voyages that include three ships with a total capacity of 2,400 twenty-foot equivalent units each. 

This is in line with Mawani’s goal to boost the Kingdom’s ranking on the Maritime Navigation Network Connectivity Index. Saudi Arabia currently stands at 71.33 on the index.

The latest route will position Jubail Port as a competitive hub and uncover a host of value-added opportunities for importers and exporters aligned with the objectives of the Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

Jubail Commercial Port operates as a gateway for local industries to export their products to global markets bolstering Saudi foreign trade and economic growth.