Mawani: Addition of a New Shipping Service to Connect King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to 4 Global Ports

Mawani: Addition of a New Shipping Service to Connect King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to 4 Global Ports
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Mawani: Addition of a New Shipping Service to Connect King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to 4 Global Ports

Mawani: Addition of a New Shipping Service to Connect King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to 4 Global Ports

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has announced the addition Aladin Express DMCC's shipping service, Gulf-India Express 2 (GIX2), to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam in a bid to boost direct trade and shipping between the Kingdom and the rest of the world.

MAwani said on its official site that the new service will connect the capital of the Kingdom's Eastern Province to the ports of Jebel Ali in the UAE, Khalifa Bin Salman in Bahrain, Hamad in Qatar, and Mundra in India every two weeks via the vessel Green Ace, which has a carrying capacity of 1740 TEUs.

"This step is part of the developmental drive undertaken by Saudi ports to elevate ports and the maritime transport sector as well as upgrade its portfolio of services to importers, exporters, and shipping agents in what is an extension to Mawani's pursuit of strengthening the logistics industry through building world-class logistics parks within and beyond port areas."

Similarly, measures such as launching the Smart Ports initiative to deploy and accelerate 5G-enabled digital transformation in local ports fall in line with the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub linking three major continents.

Last December saw global shipping lines such as Pacific International Lines (PIL), Regional Container Lines (RCL), and China United Lines (CUL) start a weekly shipping service from China to King Abdulaziz Port in collaboration with Saudi Global Ports (SGP). The port's competitiveness and expansionary plans were further bolstered with the addition of Shanghai and Singapore to PIL's service in June this year, therefore enhancing import and export operations.

The Port, which ranked fourteenth in the World Bank's Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) for 2021, handled a record 199,609 TEUs last August. This was the result of its best-in-class operating and logistical capabilities, continuing development streak, and resolve to scale greater heights in productivity and performance.



Egypt's Non-oil Sector Edges Closer to Growth in June

A general view shows Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt July 13, 2020. (Reuters)
A general view shows Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt July 13, 2020. (Reuters)
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Egypt's Non-oil Sector Edges Closer to Growth in June

A general view shows Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt July 13, 2020. (Reuters)
A general view shows Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt July 13, 2020. (Reuters)

Egypt's non-oil private sector showed more signs of improvement in June, a survey showed on Thursday.

The S&P Global Purchasing Managers' Index for Egypt climbed to 49.9 in June from 49.6 in May. While remaining below the 50.0 threshold separating growth from contraction, it showed the North African nation was nearing recovery after being in contraction territory for 43 consecutive months, Reuters reported.

"Egyptian non-oil companies saw an increase in sales volumes in June for the first time since August 2021," S&P Global said.

The survey was published a day after a reshuffled cabinet was sworn in, tasked with bringing inflation under control and boosting investment.

The new orders sub-index registered 50.2 points - the highest since August 2021. The manufacturing and services sectors showed the most promising signs, which companies said was linked to a recovery in market conditions. Construction activity contracted, however.

Employment remained broadly stable in June, as some companies reported they were hiring more to meet the rising demand, while others did not replace retired workers or laid off staff.

S&P economist David Owen said businesses appear to be "heading on the road to recovery".

"If we see further rises in sales and purchases in the second half of this year, firms should have the motivation and need to expand their output," Owen said.

An uneasy calm hung over the Kenyan capital on Thursday.

"While June saw the fastest rise in input prices for three months, firms generally commented that this was due to a high degree of volatility in market prices rather than an accelerating inflation trend," S&P Global said.