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Saudi Arabia Expands Commercial Navigation by Connecting with 11 Global Ports

The Saudi Ports Authority continues to add new navigation services linking Saudi ports to the world. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Ports Authority continues to add new navigation services linking Saudi ports to the world. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Commercial Navigation by Connecting with 11 Global Ports

The Saudi Ports Authority continues to add new navigation services linking Saudi ports to the world. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Ports Authority continues to add new navigation services linking Saudi ports to the world. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced on Monday a new service that will connect Jubail Port with 11 global ports in Türkiye, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, and the Middle East.

To be operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Co., the new service will connect Jubail Port with 11 global ports via weekly sailings to Middle Eastern ports: UAE’s Khalifa and Jebel Ali, Hamad in Qatar, Karachi in Pakistan, Mundra and Hazira in India, Alexandria in Egypt, Tekirdag and Aliaga and Mersin in Türkiye, and King Abdullah port in Saudi Arabia.

The service will operate five vessels with an average carrying capacity of 8,000 containers.

The announcement meets Mawani’s strategic goal to improve the maritime navigation network’s connectivity index and global shipping services, and aligns with the objectives of the national strategy for transport and logistics services, which seeks to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub that connects three continents together.

The Jubail commercial port is one of the main ports that support the movement of Saudi exports and imports to global markets, in particular industrial and petrochemical products.

The port is characterized by its advanced equipment that enables it to receive various types and sizes of ships, which enhances the maritime transport sector and logistic services and supports economic activities in the eastern region due to its proximity to production centers.

In December, Mawani announced the addition of King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam to the Shaheen Express shipping service by container carrier giant Maersk in a bid to boost trade between the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Subcontinent.

The service links King Abdulaziz Port to regional hubs such as Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates and Mundra and Pipavav in India.

This comes within the framework of the initiatives launched by Mawani to develop the maritime sector, improve operational efficiency and the regulatory and legislative environment by re-engineering procedures, strengthening effective partnerships with the private sector, as well as increasing shipping lines and establishing integrated logistical areas.

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Saudi Arabia Reports SAR540 Billion in Services Trade with 7% Annual Growth

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi and other officials are seen at the panel discussion at Davos. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi and other officials are seen at the panel discussion at Davos. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reports SAR540 Billion in Services Trade with 7% Annual Growth

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi and other officials are seen at the panel discussion at Davos. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi and other officials are seen at the panel discussion at Davos. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Commerce Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi announced on Wednesday that the Kingdom’s trade in services reached SAR540 billion in 2023, reflecting an annual growth rate of 7%.

Speaking at a panel discussion on Trade in Service at the World Economic Forum in Davos, he underscored the global significance of the services sector, which makes up approximately 65% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP), 60% of foreign investments, and serves as the largest provider of jobs worldwide, particularly benefiting women.

He emphasized the need for global collaboration to reduce regulatory and procedural obstacles in the services sector, adding that simplifying these systems would boost competitiveness and alleviate burdens on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), thereby raising their economic contribution.

Al-Kassabi outlined Saudi Arabia’s significant investments in digital infrastructure, including SAR93.7 billion already spent and an additional SAR75 billion allocated for future projects.

The investments, he said, aim to support digital transformation, boost businesses, and attract foreign investments.

The Kingdom has partnered with international organizations to establish legislative frameworks that protect investments and advance human resource development and has created a Center for Distinguished Residence to attract skilled talents, he went on to say.

The World Economic Forum emphasized the critical importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors for the future of trade in services. It highlighted its partnership with the National Competitiveness Center on the Facilitating and Developing Trade in Services initiative, which focuses on key sectors such as information and communications technology (ICT), finance, transportation and logistics services, and mining. The sectors are vital as they underpin all economic activities.