Mawani Announces Completion of Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port

The Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani, announced the completion of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port. (SPA)
The Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani, announced the completion of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port. (SPA)
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Mawani Announces Completion of Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port

The Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani, announced the completion of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port. (SPA)
The Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani, announced the completion of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port. (SPA)

The Saudi Ports Authority, Mawani, announced the completion of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port, leading to an increase in its capacity, SPA said on Thursday.
The completion of work at Jeddah Islamic Port’s North Container Terminal, in cooperation with the Red Sea Gateway Terminal “RSGT” with investments amounting to SAR1 billion, is expected to enhance the operational capabilities of the port, increase its capacity, and raise the efficiency of logistics services, Mawani said in a news release.
Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of the Saudi Ports Authority Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser attended the announcement ceremony. He highlighted that the completion of work at Jeddah Islamic Port’s North Container Terminal, in partnership with the private sector, contributes to enhancing operational capabilities, increasing the port’s capacity of trade movement, exports, and supporting maritime transport, supply chains, and logistics services.
Al-Jasser emphasized the importance of the completion of infrastructure rehabilitation and the deepening project to enable the port to receive giant ships, achieve added value, and create promising investment opportunities that support the significant maritime capabilities of Saudi ports.
Mawani President Omar Hariri praised the efforts of the private sector and national and international investors in the success of the initiatives undertaken by the ports authority. He noted that the continuous development of the infrastructure at Jeddah Islamic Port is part of Mawani’s efforts to enhance the Kingdom’s leadership in the maritime sector, maximize its ability to stimulate the transportation and logistics industry, strengthen its economic and developmental role, and raise the Kingdom’s rank in international rankings.
Red Sea Gateway Terminal CEO Jens Floe stated that this achievement reflects the strategic partnership between Mawani and RSGT. He confirmed the completion of integration work within a period not exceeding three years, contributing to increasing the terminal’s area from 700,000 sqm to 1,500,000 sqm, and increasing the terminal handling capacity from 2.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to 6.2 million TEUs.
The development work included the renovation of all buildings at the terminal, the inauguration of an advanced control room equipped with the latest technologies, the establishment of automated main gates for trucks entering and exiting the terminal.
The gateway terminal has larger capacity, is equipped with the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature, and uses 146 different types of equipment.
The rehabilitation of the infrastructure, covering more than 1.5 million sqm, and 11 berths of 2,600 meters equipped with 24 shore-to-ship cranes (STS), along with the completion of the deepening project, has expanded the northern channel of the Red Sea Gateway Terminal to welcome giant ships with a draft of up to 17 meters.
The development of Jeddah Islamic Port’s North Container Terminal is included in the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract signed between Mawani and the RSGT, aligning with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to make Jeddah Islamic Port a world-class leader, said the authority



Attractive Environment Drives Surge in Private Tourism Facilities in Saudi Arabia

Visitors flock to one of the events of “Riyadh Season 2024” (SPA)
Visitors flock to one of the events of “Riyadh Season 2024” (SPA)
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Attractive Environment Drives Surge in Private Tourism Facilities in Saudi Arabia

Visitors flock to one of the events of “Riyadh Season 2024” (SPA)
Visitors flock to one of the events of “Riyadh Season 2024” (SPA)

As Saudi Arabia experiences a surge in visitor numbers, there is a growing need to expand tourism infrastructure to keep up with demand.

In this context, the private facilities sector has emerged as a practical solution, contributing positively to increasing the income of local citizens who own these facilities.

This growth is reflected in the significant rise in the number of licenses granted by the Ministry of Tourism, which saw an increase of 333% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

In January, the Ministry of Tourism announced a new mandate requiring booking platforms and apps to exclude or refrain from listing unlicensed private hospitality facilities.

This move aims to ensure the quality of services provided to both local and international tourists across the Kingdom. The Ministry warned that any platforms violating this directive would face penalties.

This initiative is part of a campaign which seeks to enforce compliance with tourism licensing standards and regulations, ensuring facilities meet the criteria outlined in the Kingdom's Tourism Law and its accompanying regulations.

According to preliminary data from the Ministry of Tourism, the number of licenses issued for private hospitality facilities reached 8,357 last year, compared to 1,929 licenses in 2023.

Under the Kingdom’s Tourism Law, a private hospitality facility is defined as “any furnished and independent property unit, owned by an individual, licensed by the Ministry of Tourism, and offering daily accommodation services for a fee.”

Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al Rasasimah emphasized that the growing number of licenses issued for private hospitality facilities reflects the ministry’s commitment to enabling individual investors in the hospitality sector to obtain the necessary operating licenses.

This initiative aims to enhance the quality of services provided.

He added that these efforts are part of the "Guests Are Our Priority" campaign, which seeks to strengthen compliance with licensing and classification standards and ensure facilities meet the conditions set out in the Tourism Law and its regulations.

Dr. Salem Baajajah, an economic expert and professor at King Abdulaziz University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the significant growth in hospitality and tourism facilities is a result of the Ministry of Tourism's efforts to attract foreign investors.

He added that this expansion reflects a growing demand from international investors seeking to capitalize on opportunities in Saudi Arabia, aligned with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goal of increasing the number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia.

He further explained that the tourism sector is experiencing notable growth, contributing to higher revenues for local citizens.