Saudi Arabia's Ports Surge in Global Rankings, Three Among Top 100 Container Handlers.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ports have surged in the global rankings placing three of them among the top 100 container handers internationally. According to Lloyd’s Register’s ‘Lloyd’s List’ Saudi Arabia has moved from 16th to 15th place for its port annual container handling ranking. The three ports to achieve this in the Kingdom are are Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdullah Port, and King Abdulaziz Port, all of which have made substantial strides in their performance from last year. 

The three ports each moved up their individual rankings as shown below: 

• Jeddah Islamic Port moved from the 41st to the 32nd place. It handled,586,074 standard containers in 2023, compared to 4,960,120 in 2022, representing a growth of 12.6%. 

• King Abdullah Port moved from the 71st to the 70th place. It handled 2,929,807 standard containers in 2023, compared to 2,905,306 in 2022, representing a growth of 0.8%. 

• King Abdulaziz Port moved from the 90th to the 82nd place. It handled 2,305,811 standard containers in 2023, compared to 2,038,787 in 2022, representing a growth of 13.1%. 

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This rise represents a wider success of the Kingdom to build towards its Vision 2030 aims of positioning the country as a global leader in the logistics sector. The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) President Omar Hariri stated his satisfaction with the progress of Saudi Ports.  

“The ports sector plays a pivotal role in supporting the national economy, enhancing export and trade activities, and facilitating the smooth movement of supply chains. These achievements align with the objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services, as outlined in Vision 2030, and solidify the Kingdom's standing as a global logistics hub." 

MAWANI is currently working to continue this trend of growth through further enhancements to its operational efficiency. The company recently concluded a series of development and commercial support contracts for container terminals. These investments aim to increase the capacity of container terminals, by over 70% at Jeddah Islamic Port and by more than 120% at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam. 

MAWANI’s efforts are in line with the Kingdom’s continuous progress to develop its maritime logistics sector. In 2023, Saudi added 31 transcontinental shipping services, signed agreements for six new logistics zones with prominent national and international companies, and inked four contracts for maritime services. This is reflected in the Lloyd’s Report and in Saudi’s steady rise through the international rankings. Saudi Arabia will continue to build on the maritime sector. Positioning itself as a key competitive player in the global market. 

Saudi Arabia's significant advancements in its port operations demonstrate the Kingdom's ongoing commitment to becoming a global leader in the logistics and maritime sectors, as envisioned in Vision 2030. The substantial improvements in the rankings of Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdullah Port, and King Abdulaziz Port reflect the success of strategic investments and operational enhancements. These achievements not only bolster the national economy but also reinforce Saudi Arabia's growing influence in international trade.