RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu will see faster cargo handling, shorter waiting times, and improved supply chain efficiency through the new Red Sea Express container shipping service.
Launched by Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, in partnership with Folk Maritime and SABIC, the new line connects King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt, and Aqaba Port in Jordan, and has a carrying capacity of up to 1,100 twenty-foot equivalent units, according to a statement.
It is expected to support the Kingdom’s economy by increasing non-oil exports, attracting investments, and reinforcing the role of ports as a key economic driver for Saudi Arabia and the wider region.
The new line builds on Mawani’s ongoing expansion of shipping services with major global carriers as the authority works to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s connectivity with regional and international markets.
Under its National Transport and Logistics Strategy, the Kingdom aims to increase annual port container throughput to 40 million TEUs by 2030.
The newly released statement said: “The launch of a direct shipping line between King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu and Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt and Aqaba Port in Jordan represents a qualitative leap in the logistics services system.
“It also reflects the integration of efforts between leading national companies, most notably Folk Maritime and SABIC, contributing to enhancing export efficiency and supporting trade.”
It added: “This shipping line enhances the commercial competitiveness of national exports by reducing shipping times and transportation costs, thereby increasing the attractiveness of national products and providing a wider scope for trade in competitive national agricultural products for logistics services, and consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”
King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu is the largest facility on the Red Sea for loading crude oil and petrochemical products, with a handling capacity of 210 million tonnes annually.
In 2025, Saudi ports supervised by Mawani recorded a 10.58 percent year-on-year increase in container volumes, reaching 8.3 million standard containers.
