RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s seaports handled 720,684 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in May, marking a 13 percent increase compared to the same month last year. The growth was driven by a rise in imports, exports, and transshipment operations, according to official data.
According to data from the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), imported containers rose by 15.84 percent year-on-year in May, reaching 292,223 TEUs. Exported volumes also saw an increase of 9.38 percent, totaling 279,318 TEUs.
Transshipment activity grew as well, with transport containers rising 12.89 percent to 149,143 TEUs, underscoring Saudi Arabia’s expanding role as a regional trade hub.
This growth reflects the continued development of port infrastructure and logistics services nationwide. It also aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub under Saudi Vision 2030.
In a release, Mawani stated: “The total tonnage handled — general cargo, solid bulk cargo, and liquid bulk cargo — increased by 1.40 percent to reach 21,337,699 tonnes compared to 21,042,684 tonnes during the same period last year.”
The increase in activity underscores the continued expansion of port infrastructure and logistics services throughout the Kingdom.
It added: “The total general cargo amounted to 935,932 tonnes, solid bulk cargo 5,059,899 tonnes, and liquid bulk cargo 15,341,868 tonnes.”
The ports received 1.63 million heads of livestock, up 61.22 percent compared to 1.01 million during the same period last year.
Maritime activity also saw an uptick, with vessel calls increasing by 9.39 percent to 1,083 ships. Passenger traffic surged by 68.15 percent, reaching 95,231 travelers, while the number of vehicles handled rose 13.09 percent year-on-year to 84,352 units.
This positive trend builds on strong performance in April, when Saudi ports processed 625,430 standard containers—an increase of 13.4 percent compared to the same month last year.
In 2024, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) launched several major initiatives, including agreements and groundbreaking projects to develop eight new logistics parks and hubs at Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. These projects represent a total private sector investment of approximately SR2.9 billion ($773 million).
These efforts are part of a broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of Saudi ports and reinforce the Kingdom’s position as a global trade and logistics hub.
The initiatives form part of a larger SR10 billion investment plan to develop 18 logistics parks across Saudi terminals, all overseen by Mawani.
