Cargo throughput rose by 16% in July at Saudi ports, racking up 28 million tonnes compared to 24 million tonnes in July 2021, largely due to optimised organisational performance and world-class levels of efficiency.

Statistics by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) further reveal a 45.4% growth in general cargo at 718,082 tonnes, a 30.3% increase in dry bulk cargo at 4.2 million tonnes, and a 19.1% surge in liquid bulk cargo at 16.3 million tonnes, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said.

Similarly, container throughput jumped 6.4% to 641,862 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit ) compared to 602,181 TEUs during the same period last year. Transshipments, too, spiked 9.5% year-on-year to hit 268,000 TEUs versus previous year’s volumes of 245,000 TEUs.

1,140 vessels drop anchor
Moreover, 1,140 vessels dropped anchor across the kingdom’s trade hubs at a 12% yearly growth rate. Automobile imports also soared to 78,438 units at 31% compared to 60,052 vehicles in 2021, whereas foodstuff volumes recorded a 40% uptick last month at 2 million tonnes.

Passenger traffic stood at 95,000 pax, a staggering leap of 70.3% from last year’s tally of 56,000. On the other hand, 615,000 cattle heads were unloaded last month under the highest standards of efficiency and effectiveness.

Mawani aims to boost the competitive edge and infrastructure of Saudi ports to transform it into a global logistics hub that connects three continents by expanding shipping routes and aligning its future roadmap with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS)