Saudi Ports box volumes drop in January

Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) has announced that container throughput in January reached 819,198 TEU in Saudi seaports, representing a decline of 7.22% over the same month of 2021.

Additionally, the transshipment sector has also recorded a year-on-year decrease of 2.4%. The port authority claimed that this performance was due to the international supply and demand market in January.

Volumes of general cargo, however, increased by 5.3% in January, totalling 25 million tons, while the total food shipments amounted to more than 2 million, registering a slight rise of around 2%, compared to the same month of the previous year.

MAWANI stressed the importance of renewed efforts to achieve a qualitative leap in maritime transport across the seaports, in line with its strategic goals and programmes that aim to develop a sustainable and booming maritime sector in Saudi Arabia.

The authority’s strategies also seek to consolidate Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics centre, besides enabling it to achieve its ambitious economic and social goals, according to a statement.

MAWANI also affirmed that it will strengthen the maritime transport sector by transforming Saudi ports into attractive investment destinations that support the country’s trade and economic development, in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and Vision 2030.