The Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, has reported a remarkable uptick in its port activities for the month of February. The ports witnessed a 16.88% increase in imported containers, amounting to 266,672 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a significant rise from the previous year’s 193,937 TEUs.
Furthermore, the ports experienced a 1.44% augmentation in cargo throughput, managing to handle 23,381,835 tons, which marks an improvement over the 23,049,373 tons processed during the same period in 2023. This performance reflects the dedicated efforts to enhance port infrastructure and the delivery of premier logistical services.
A detailed overview of the cargo includes 830,641 tons of general cargo, 3,626,347 tons of solid bulk, and 12,586,815 tons of liquid bulk. The ports also saw a surge in livestock activity, with 899,293 cattle heads being unloaded, indicating a 166.67% jump from the previous year.
Maritime traffic has also seen a boost, with ship movements increasing by 1.57% to 907 vessels. Nonetheless, there has been a notable 32.86% decline in passenger numbers, totaling 67,754, and an 11.12% fall in vehicle throughput, with 72,448 cars handled. Conversely, the total number of handled containers saw a 9.85% decrease to 561,484 TEUs and container transshipment experienced a sharp 34.88% decline, reaching 152,868 TEUs.
Export activities have not been immune to the downward trend, with exported containers dropping by 6.29%, totaling 181,944 TEUs. Despite these declines, King Abdul Aziz Port in Dammam achieved a historical milestone by recording the highest throughput ever at 235,820 TEUs. This achievement is in sync with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy’s objectives, which are poised to establish the Kingdom as a pivotal global logistics hub, connecting three continents.