Saudi ports see 4.29% rise in cargo handled in November

RIYADH: Saudi ports reported a 4.29 percent year-on-year increase in the volume of tonnes handled in November, according to official data.

The Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, revealed that the Kingdom's ports processed 24.73 million tonnes of cargo last month, up from 23.74 million tonnes in November 2023.

The data also showed significant growth in container traffic, with the number of exported containers surging by 23 percent to 261,030 containers. The number of imported containers also rose by 15.62 percent, reaching 259,355 containers during the same period.

This growth contributes to Saudi Arabia’s rising profile as a global logistics hub, with the Kingdom now ranked 15th in the world for container handling in 2024, according to Lloyd’s List, a UK-based maritime journal.

However, overall container throughput showed a slight decline, with the total number of handled containers dropping by 9.14 percent to 670,185 containers. Additionally, transshipment volumes fell sharply by 49.43 percent year on year, with just 138,660 containers transshipped in November.

In terms of cargo types, general cargo totaled 1.13 million tonnes, while solid bulk cargo amounted to 3.59 million tonnes. Liquid bulk cargo saw the highest volume at 13.05 million tonnes.

The Kingdom’s ports also received 716,541 heads of cattle in November, marking a 4.98 percent decline compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, navigational traffic saw a 6.96 percent drop, with 949 vessels calling at Saudi ports in November 2024, down from 1,020 ships in November 2023. The number of passengers arriving by sea also fell by 15.78 percent, with 66,422 passengers recorded.

On a positive note, the number of cars imported through Saudi ports increased by 11.82 percent, totaling 99,760 cars during the month compared to 89,269 cars in November 2023.