Ashraf AboArafe
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) jumped 8 international ranks in handling the number of containers, according to the global classification of “Lloyd’s List” for the quantities of container handling, for the newly issued 100 largest ports in the world for the current year 2023 AD.
This achievement was achieved after the Kingdom jumped from the 24th rank to the 16th rank internationally in handling the number of containers, thus raising its international classification in the annual production capacity for handling containers in its seaports.
His Excellency the Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Authority for Ports, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, said: “This qualitative progress of the Kingdom’s ports in handling the number of containers according to the “Lloyd’s List” report comes as a result of the continuous support and empowerment of His Highness the Crown Prince – may God protect him – to move forward towards achieving the goals of the national strategy for transport and logistics services by increasing the capacity in Saudi ports to reach more than 40 million standard containers by the year 2030 AD, thus contributing to the consolidation of the Kingdom’s position as a port of entry. A global city, the development of the transport industry and logistics services in the Kingdom, and the maximization of its economic and developmental role.
According to the global report; The Kingdom’s ports strengthened its international position by handling 10,439,620 containers in 2022, which confirms the Kingdom’s logistical position globally, and the port sector’s role in supporting the national economy and GDP as the first engine for the movement of exports and imports.
This comes as a result of development programs and commercial outsourcing contracts concluded by the Saudi Ports Authority to raise the efficiency of operating container terminals in the Kingdom’s ports, with an investment value of approximately 17 billion riyals, which contributes to increasing the capacity of container terminals at Jeddah Islamic Port by more than 70% to reach more than 13 million containers, and increasing the capacity of container terminals at King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam by more than 120% to reach 7.5 million containers.
This also comes as a result of strategic logistical partnerships with major international shipping lines, through the addition of 9 intercontinental shipping services during the year 2022 AD, and the establishment of 6 new logistical areas with major national and international companies, with investments from the private sector of about 4 billion riyals.
It is noteworthy that the Kingdom’s ports have recently achieved their highest progress in the maritime navigation network connectivity index, within the UNCTAD report for the second quarter of 2023, issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, by scoring 76.16 points, making the Kingdom 16th in the world, among 187 countries, through the multiplicity of 97 navigational services in Saudi ports, which connect the Kingdom to about 348 global ports.
The Kingdom has also achieved a remarkable achievement in the transport and logistics system, after it jumped 17 ranks globally in the logistics index issued by the World Bank, after it advanced to rank (38) out of (160 countries) in the international ranking in the logistics efficiency index.
