RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ports handled 722,502 twenty-foot equivalent units in July, marking a 12.01 percent year-on-year increase as infrastructure upgrades and expanded logistics services boosted throughput.
According to the Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, the gain was led by a 35.34 percent jump in transshipment volumes to 175,666 TEUs, while export containers climbed 12.86 percent to 275,098 TEUs. Imports recorded a modest 0.10 percent rise to 271,738 TEUs.
The July performance follows strong growth in May, when Saudi ports handled 720,684 TEUs, up 13 percent year on year.
The uptick in activity supports the goals of Saudi Arabia’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub under Vision 2030.
In a release, Mawani stated: “These increases reflect the expansion of trade exchange with global markets, the stimulation of sectors related to maritime transport, the enhancement of supply chain efficiency, the growth of maritime activity, the support of the Kingdom’s food security, the expansion of economic activity, and the creation of jobs.”
Total cargo tonnage, comprising general cargo, dry and liquid bulk, grew 2.81 percent to 21.1 million tonnes from 20.6 million tonnes a year earlier. General cargo reached 461,958 tonnes, dry bulk 4 million tonnes, and liquid bulk 16.6 million tonnes.
Livestock imports climbed 13.18 percent to 582,708 head. The number of ships calling at Saudi ports rose 11.27 percent to 1,017, passenger traffic grew 41.70 percent to 73,953, while vehicle volumes fell 22.66 percent to 69,969 units.
Maritime traffic expanded by 11.27 percent to 1,017 ships from 914 ships last year. Passenger numbers climbed 41.70 percent to 73,953 compared to 52,191 a year earlier, while vehicle volumes fell 22.66 percent to 69,969 units.
In August, Mawani signed an SR500 million ($133.2 million) contract with Petrotank to establish an integrated marine bunkering hub at King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu, a project aimed at enhancing fuel storage and bunkering capacity, attracting more vessels, and boosting the competitiveness of Saudi ports.
Spanning 110,700 sq. meters and operating under a 20-year lease, the facility will boost fuel and oil storage capacity, increase vessel traffic, and strengthen the Kingdom’s competitiveness in global shipping.
