Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port is now part of container shipping giant Maersk Express’ shipping services, a move that will boost trade between the Arabian Gulf and the Indian subcontinent.
Known as the Shaheen Express, the weekly service connects the port with major areas such as Dubai’s Jebel Ali, India’s Mundra and Pipavav The hub is connected by the BIG DOG container ship, which has a carrying capacity of 1,740 TEUs.
The announcement by the Saudi Ports Authority comes after several other international shipping lines have already chosen Dammam as a port of call in 2022.
These include SeaLead Shipping’s Far East to Middle East service, Emirates Line’s Jebel Ali Bahrain Shuwaikh (JBS) and Aladin Express’ Gulf-India Express 2.
In addition, the Pacific International Line has recently opened the China Gulf Line, connecting Singapore and Shanghai ports.
King Abdulaziz Port was declared the 14th most efficient port in the World Bank’s 2021 Container Port Performance Index, a historic achievement stemming from its state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Saudi Press Agency reported. , world-class operations and record-breaking performance.
In a sign of the port’s growth, King Abdulaziz Port set a new record for container throughput in June 2022, handling 188,578 TEUs, surpassing the previous record set in 2015.
The port’s record performance was attributed to growth in import and export volumes, and the launch of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which aims to transform Saudi Arabia into a global logistics hub.
The Port Authority is currently upgrading the port to enable it to receive mega-ships, allowing it to handle up to 105 million tons per year.
Post time: May-08-2023
