Arab News, Tuesday, May 23, 2023 | Thul-Qidah 3, 1444
Jeddah Islamic Port container volume surges 25% in April: Mawani
Saudi Arabia:
Improved operational capabilities at Jeddah Islamic Port led to a 25.07 percent
surge in container throughput during April, according to a statement released by
the General Authority for Ports, also known as Mawani.
The total number of containers handled reached
465,438, up from the 372,064 recorded in April 2022.
This rise came as Mawani further ramped up its
infrastructure at Saudi ports while ensuring supply chain reliability.
It also cements the authority’s efforts to
facilitate import, export and maritime trade operations.
Moreover, the progress also aligns with the
objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy to position the
Kingdom as a global logistics hub connecting three continents in support of the
Saudi Vision 2030.
The authority also revealed that transshipments
recorded a 21.83 percent jump to reach 261,543 containers compared to 214,686 a
year ago.
Additionally, the cargo handled at the port in
April 2023 hit 5.21 million tons, reflecting a 19.33 percent climb compared to
the 4.4 million tons in the year-ago period.
Overall, in April, the port moved an estimated
128,714 tons of general cargo, 305,038 tons of solid bulk and 34,109 tons of
liquid bulk cargo.
The maritime traffic at the port also rose 13.29
percent in April as the number of ships reached 324 vessels, compared to 286 in
the same month last year.
Last week, Mawani disclosed that improved
efficiency across all Saudi ports led to a 13.34 percent year-on-year surge in
container throughput during April.
Figures released by the authority showed the
number of containers going through Saudi harbors reached 681,663 20-foot
equivalent units last month, compared to 601,429 TEUs in April 2022.
Jeddah Islamic Port is witnessing major
development plans to improve operational processes and further boost its
capacity.
It effectively contributed to the advancement of
the Kingdom by 17 ranks in the Logistics Performance Index issued by the World
Bank.
The LPI — which covers 139 countries — measures
the ease of establishing reliable supply chain connections and the structural
factors that make it possible, such as the quality of logistics services, trade
and transport-related infrastructure and border controls.