Saudi MAWANI to Establish New Logistics Zones

The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) aims to achieve the National Transportation and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) goals by consolidating Saudi Arabia's position as a global logistics center and a hub linking three continents.

It is seeking to increase private sector investments in ports and conclude contracts and agreements to establish new logistical zones and achieve a qualitative and comprehensive shift in work and operation mechanisms and logistical support in Saudi ports.

Vice President of Strategic Management at MAWANI Khaled al-Ghayth indicated it would create more job opportunities.

Ghayth told Asharq Al-Awsat that MAWANI is expanding strategic partnerships with major international and regional companies to add new shipping services to boost the Kingdom's position.

Supply chains

MAWANI is also taking practical steps to boost the sustainability of supply chains and support container and cargo transport operations, in line with the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, through smart technologies and logistical support mechanisms that consolidate the competitive advantages of Saudi ports.

He pointed out that the Authority added 31 new shipping services during 2023, reaching about 145 services linking the Kingdom to 350 regional and international ports.

The Authority signed several agreements to establish and lay the foundations for nine zones in the Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, with an investment value exceeding $1.6 billion.

Ghayth stated that the new areas aim to support the prosperity of the movement and growth of supply chains.

Sea and air ports

In 2023, MAWANI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the General Authority of Civil Aviation and the Zakat, Tax, and Customs Authority (ZATCA) to enhance logistical connectivity between air and sea gateways, facilitating multimodal movement through Saudi Arabia.

Jeddah Islamic Port conducted a successful trial of sea-to-air integration.

Ghayth noted that MAWANI intends to bolster cooperation with international ports to support economic diversification and establish a more competitive and attractive investment environment.

In July 2023, the Authority concluded an agreement with Antwerp International Port to boost cooperation in port optimization, digital transformation, and capacity building.

A month later, it inked a partnership agreement with the Dutch Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe, to boost cooperation in developing smart ports and human capabilities, while exchanging experiences and knowledge.

On Sunday, MAWANI laid the cornerstone for the Bahri Logistics Center at Jeddah Islamic Port to enhance logistics capabilities and supply chains.

Minister of Transport and Logistics Services and MAWANI Chairman Saleh al-Jasser, MAWANI President Omar Hariri, and Bahri CEO Ahmed al-Subaey attended the ceremony.

According to MAWANI, Bahri Logistics Services Company will manage the state-of-the-art facility that covers 95,436 square meters.

Bahri will manage the facility and offer multiple storage options in temperature-controlled areas, handling services, and added value services, enabling multinational companies to establish their hub in the center.

Hariri emphasized the pivotal role of the Bahri Logistics Center as a key component in MAWANI’s efforts to strengthen the maritime logistics sector, in line with the NTLS.

The project highlights MAWANI's commitment to bolster the infrastructure and capabilities of Saudi Arabia's logistics sector, contributing actively to economic growth and efforts to boost non-oil exports, as outlined in the nation's ambitious vision 2030.

Subaey expressed his enthusiasm for working with MAWANI and ZATCA to establish this cutting-edge logistics facility.

He emphasized its potential to significantly impact the national, regional, and global logistics sectors.

"Beyond enhancing our capabilities and positioning us favorably in the global logistics sector, the Bahri Logistics Center will allow us to capitalize on new opportunities, substantially enriching our role in elevating Saudi Arabia's status as a global logistics hub," he explained.

The Logistics Center is expected to be operational in the first half of 2025 and will offer exceptional storage and handling capabilities with over 80,000 pallet positions, 40,000 shelving units, and an annual throughput exceeding 900,000 pallets.

The facility will be equipped to store reefer, insulated, and dry containers. It will also provide its clients with various services like container maintenance and repair, container cleaning, bonded storage, and haulage.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde renewed her call for economic integration across Europe on Friday, arguing that intensifying global trade tensions and a growing technology gap with the United States create fresh urgency for action.
US President-elect Donald Trump has promised to impose tariffs on most if not all imports and said Europe would pay a heavy price for having run a large trade surplus with the US for decades.
"The geopolitical environment has also become less favorable, with growing threats to free trade from all corners of the world," Lagarde said in a speech, without directly referring to Trump.
"The urgency to integrate our capital markets has risen."
While Europe has made some progress, EU members tend to water down most proposals to protect vested national interests to the detriment of the bloc as a whole, Reuters quoted Lagarde as saying.
But this is taking hundreds of billions if not trillions of euros out of the economy as households are holding 11.5 trillion euros in cash and deposits, and much of this is not making its way to the firms that need the funding.
"If EU households were to align their deposit-to-financial assets ratio with that of US households, a stock of up to 8 trillion euros could be redirected into long-term, market-based investments – or a flow of around 350 billion euros annually," Lagarde said.
When the cash actually enters the capital market, it often stays within national borders or leaves for the US in hope of better returns, Lagarde added.
Europe therefore needs to reduce the cost of investing in capital markets and must make the regulatory regime easier for cash to flow to places where it is needed the most.
A solution might be to create an EU-wide regulatory regime on top of the 27 national rules and certain issuers could then opt into this framework.
"To bypass the cumbersome process of regulatory harmonization, we could envisage a 28th regime for issuers of securities," Lagarde said. "They would benefit from a unified corporate and securities law, facilitating cross-border placement, holding and settlement."
Still, that would not solve the problem that few innovative companies set up shop in Europe, partly due to the lack of funding. So Europe must make it easier for investment to flow into venture capital and for banks to fund startups, she said.

Saudi MAWANI to Establish New Logistics Zones