Saudi Arabia, represented by its seaports, has raised its international ranking in annual container handling numbers, advancing from 16th to 15th place globally, according to the recently released 2024 edition of the ‘Lloyd’s List One Hundred Ports’ in the world.
According to the report, Saudi Arabia’s ports have strengthened their international position, as Jeddah Islamic Port jumped from 41st to 32nd place globally, by recording about 5.6 million standard containers during the past year, compared to what it recorded in 2022, which was 4.96 million standard containers, achieving an increase of 12.6%.
King Abdullah Port also advanced from 71st to 70th place, recording 2.93 million standard containers last year, compared to 2.905 million containers in 2022, achieving an increase of 0.8%, according to a statement issued by the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI).
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam moved from 90th to 82nd place, recording 2.305 million standard containers last year, compared to 2.038 million standard containers recorded in the previous year, achieving an increase of 13.1%.
Omar Al-Hariri, chairman of MAWANI, said that the figures of growth rates and the continuous increase in the number of standard containers handled in Saudi’s ports reflect the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics power, and the prominent role of the ports sector in supporting the national economy and enhancing export and trade activities and the movement of supply chains.
The Saudi Ports Authority also signed, a package of development and commercial support contracts to raise the operating efficiency of container terminals in the Saudi ports, which contributes to increasing the capacity of container terminals at Jeddah Islamic Port by more than 70%, and King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam by more than 120%.