Mawani (The Saudi Port Authority) has approved five new shipping services during January that will contribute to linking the Kingdom with 43 international ports.
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Strengthening the shipping and logistics sector
The five new services are projected to support commercial traffic, expanding the national imports and exports system, which also includes providing alternatives for importers, exporters, and shipping agents. The services will also enable the authority to back the logistics system and upgrade the services of importers, exporters and shipping agents. It is in line with the goals and objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics center and a connecting hub for the three continents.
The five new services are dispersed across three ports namely, Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and Jubail Commercial Port. At the Jeddah Islamic Port, the shipping service “India – Western Mediterranean of the Mediterranean Shipping Co.” was added, linking the Kingdom with 12 international ports. At the same port another joint shipping line called “Indamex2” was added, linking the Kingdom with an additional six global ports.
As for the King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, the “Pakistan, India and South Africa” of the Mediterranean Shipping Co. shipping service was added, linking the Gulf country with eight intercontinental ports. At the Jubail Commercial Port, the “India to East Med” of the Mediterranean Shipping Co. was added, connecting the Kingdom to 11 international ports. Lastly, the “India Gulf Service” was also added at the Jubail Commercial Port, linking Saudi Arabia to six global ports.
An integrated logistics park
Mawani have also signed an agreement with Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to set up an integrated logistics park at Al Khumrah in the south of Jeddah at a cost of $2.8 billion/AED 1 billion. Designed for optimum asset utilisation, the park is set to create over 10,000 direct and indirect job opportunities in the logistics sector while strengthening Jeddah Islamic Port’s position as a major maritime hub delivering top-tier services and increased throughput capacity. Spread over 3 sq. km., the logistics park comprises of three zones that include shared warehouses, medium-sized storage yards and single warehouses, and large storage yards and on-demand warehouses. The various zones fulfil importers’ and exporters’ requirements of stocking multipurpose cargo, chilled and frozen goods, food commodities, and fragile goods, in addition to housing dedicated areas for administrative, commercial, and residential use as well as a one-stop services center.
