RIYADH: The Saudi Port Authority, also known as Mawani, has approved five new shipping services during January that will contribute to linking the Kingdom with as many as 43 international ports.
The five new services are projected to support commercial traffic, strengthen the national imports and exports system, as well as provide alternatives for importers, exporters, and shipping agents, Al-Eqtisadiah reported.
In addition, the new services will enable the authority to back the logistics system and upgrade the services of importers, exporters and shipping agents.
This also aligns 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.
Moving on to 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.
According to the UNCTAD report issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mawani has achieved the highest regional progress in the maritime navigation network connectivity index.
This comes as the authority managed to secure 71.33 points during the final quarter of 2022, as a result of the addition of nine new shipping services throughout the year.
Mawani’s mission is to realize the Kingdom’s economic and social ambitions by ensuring reliable and efficient logistics operations while creating a safe and sustainable maritime environment.
