https://arab.news/nrnhv
RIYADH: Maritime connectivity between Saudi Arabia and key Asian and European markets is set to expand after the Kingdom added CMA CGM’s “Ocean Rise” shipping service to Jeddah Islamic Port.
The new route connects Jeddah Islamic Port with Kobe, Nagoya and Yokohama in Japan; Xiamen, Yantian and Nansha in China; Rotterdam in the Netherlands; Hamburg in Germany; and Southampton in the UK.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Ports Authority, known as Mawani, the service has a handling capacity of up to 3,001 twenty-foot equivalent units and is aimed at supporting the movement of Saudi exports and imports in cooperation with international shipping lines.
The new line builds on Mawani’s recent expansion of shipping services with major global carriers as the authority moves to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s links to regional and international markets.
“This addition aligns with Mawani’s efforts to enhance the Kingdom’s ranking in global performance indicators and support global trade flows, in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy to reinforce the Kingdom’s standing as a global logistics hub connecting the three continents,” Mawani said in a statement.
Mawani said 18 maritime shipping services have been launched during the current period, with a combined estimated handling capacity of 123,552 TEUs, as the authority accelerates efforts to expand connectivity with major international ports and strengthen supply-chain continuity.
The authority added that the expansion aims to ensure efficient delivery of goods to markets and enhance operational readiness across Saudi ports in cooperation with global shipping companies including MSC, Maersk, PIL, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd.
The latest service expands Mawani’s growing portfolio of shipping connections as Saudi Arabia accelerates investment in transport and logistics infrastructure to support economic diversification efforts under Vision 2030.
In March, Mawani added five shipping services operated by Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC and CMA CGM, with a combined capacity of 63,594 TEUs.
The routes — Gulf Shuttle, Redex, Jade, AE19 and SE4 — were introduced as part of efforts to enhance trade connectivity and support supply-chain resilience amid disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Kingdom’s port activity has continued to expand. Saudi ports recorded a 6.66 percent annual increase in cargo throughput in March, while Mawani-overseen ports handled 667,882 TEUs in February, up 20.89 percent from the same month a year earlier.
Jeddah Islamic Port is one of the Kingdom’s key maritime gateways. It includes 62 multi-purpose berths, a logistics park for warehousing and re-export, a direct trucking system to and from the port, specialized terminals, and advanced equipment.
The port’s facilities include two container terminals and a range of marine service berths, with a total handling capacity of up to 130 million tonnes.