The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) recently allocated $2.4 billion that will be used for the development of local ports’ capacity, announced Omar Hariri, CEO of Mawani Ports, according to media reports. Hariri also added, saying that 72 international and local companies intend to work on new contracts and will invest about SR2 billion.
Hariri further added that the authorities are also focusing on digital transformation so that all the features in the port are automated, thereby making it much more efficient. Recently, the Saudi Ports Authority also announced that they have recorded significant growth during the first half of 2021 and this projection directly reflects the Kingdom’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
During this time period, Mawani handled 3.6 million TEU, a 5.18 percent increase year on year. Additionally, transhipment containers increased by 24.49 percent to 1.4 million TEU, while it handled a total of 138 million tons of cargo. The number of passengers also grew by 0.61 percent year-on-year to 288,000, and Mawani handled 429,000 imported cars. An increase in the number of ships received at the Saudi Arabian port also registered an increase of 6.6 percent over the same period last year.
Mawani also launched four shipping lines last year that is expected to increase Saudi ports’ connectivity with their international counterparts. Earlier this year in July, Mawani ports announced its partnership with the private sector that will help them develop and operate multi-purpose terminals in eight of the nation’s ports.