Saudi Mawani Ports Record 9.11% Cargo Handling Boost In July 2024

The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) reported a 9.11% rise in cargo handling volume in July, reaching 27,382,403 tons. This is an increase from the 25,096,888 tons managed in the same month last year. The number of inbound containers also saw a significant rise of 15.72%, totalling 271,465 compared to 234,592 containers last year.

While inbound containers increased, outbound containers experienced a slight decline of 2.50%, dropping to 243,758 from 250,003 containers in the same period of 2023. Despite this decrease, the ports handled a total of 645,019 containers in July, which is a reduction of 14.40% from the previous year's figure of 753,496 containers.

General cargo amounted to 701,606 tons during this period. Solid bulk cargo reached a total of 4,482,634 tons, while liquid bulk cargo stood at an impressive 15,349,511 tons. These figures highlight the diverse range of cargo types managed by Mawani's ports.

The ports also saw a substantial increase in livestock received, with numbers jumping by 127.60% to 506,016 heads compared to 222,327 heads in the same period last year. However, maritime traffic decreased by 11.24%, with only 908 ships arriving compared to 1,023 ships in the previous year.

Passenger numbers also fell significantly by 31.80%, totalling just 52,191 passengers compared to last year's figure of 76,532 passengers. Vehicle traffic saw an 8.64% decrease as well, with only 90,471 vehicles passing through the ports compared to 99,026 vehicles last year.

Transshipment Containers

Transshipment container numbers dropped sharply by 51.73%, falling to just 129,797 containers from the previous year's count of 268,901 containers. This significant decline indicates challenges in transshipment activities at Mawani's ports.

In June this year, Mawani's ports achieved a notable increase in cargo handling volumes by 9.16%, reaching a total of 27,640,795 tons. The number of outbound containers rose by a notable margin of 7.78%, totalling 228,031 containers.

National Transport and Logistics Strategy

The number of inbound containers also increased by a healthy margin of 9.85%, reaching a total of 245,569 containers in June this year. These improvements align with the objectives set out in Saudi Arabia's National Transport and Logistics Strategy aimed at establishing the Kingdom as a global logistics hub.

Mawani's data reflects both growth and challenges within Saudi Arabia's port operations over recent months. While certain areas like livestock imports and general cargo have seen remarkable increases, other sectors such as transshipment and passenger traffic have faced declines.

With inputs from SPA