Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Ports Authority also called Mawani, announced on Tuesday a 12.07% increase in container handling across the ports under its management in 2023.
A total of 8,443,746 TEU were handled, marking a noteworthy rise from the 7,534,307 TEU handled in 2022. The Kingdom’s overall ports recorded a 9.01% increase in annual container handling for 2023, reaching 11,380,302 TEU compared to 10,439,620 TEU in 2022.
Furthermore, exported containers under Mawani reached 2,586,722 TEU, representing a 15.56% increase compared to 2,238,390 TEU in 2022. Imported containers reached 2,619,534 TEU, recording a 12.68% increase compared to 2,324,684 TEU in 2022. Transshipment containers also experienced an 8.96% increase in volume, with 3,237,490 TEU transshipped in 2023 compared to 2,971,233 TEU in 2022.
In terms of the Kingdom’s total ports, exported containers saw a 13.88% increase, reaching 2,744,332 TEU compared to 2,409,767 TEU in 2022. Imported containers witnessed a 10.51% increase, reaching 2,737,910 TEU compared to 2,477,555 TEU in 2022. Transshipment containers recorded a 6.23% increase, reaching 5,896,060 TEU in 2023 compared to 5,552,298 TEU in 2022.
The growth aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS) to establish the Kingdom as a global logistics center and a hub connecting three continents.
Furthermore, statistics regarding vehicles imported through ports under Mawani witnessed a significant increase of 40.54%, with 2,483,331 cars imported in 2023 compared to 1,767,016 in 2022. The number of arriving and departing passengers also surged by 41.30%, reaching 1,008,856 passengers compared to 713,960 passengers in 2022. Maritime traffic recorded a 7.16% increase, with 12,130 vessels in 2023 compared to 11,320 vessels in 2022.
In an effort to enhance the food security system and address local market demands, ports under Mawani reported a livestock unloading rate of 8,124,842 heads in 2023, marking a remarkable 110.46% increase compared to 3,860,557 in 2022. However, the handled tonnage experienced a decrease of 5.06%, reaching 300,542,872 tons compared to 316,570,515 tons in the previous year. General cargo volumes reached 7,624,913 tons, with 49,060,740 tons of dry bulk cargo and 152,577,817 tons of liquid bulk cargo.
Mawani achieved its highest-ever monthly container handling statistics in May 2023, with an 18.80% increase in the number of handled containers. Additionally, Jeddah Islamic Port recorded its highest monthly handling statistics in October 2023, with a total of 511,348 TEU handled, while King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam also achieved a record number with 211,202 TEU handled in a single month in July 2023.