Pratik Bijlani –
Saudi Arabia has taken another significant step towards strengthening its regional maritime network and logistics ambitions with the launch of new cargo shipping services connecting key ports across the Red Sea, Gulf region, and East Africa. The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) recently inaugurated a new shipping service linking Jeddah Islamic Port with the Port of Salalah in Oman and the Port of Djibouti, reinforcing the Kingdom’s efforts to position itself as a major logistics and transshipment hub under its Vision 2030 strategy.
The newly launched service, with a carrying capacity of up to 1,730 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), is designed to enhance import and export connectivity while expanding Saudi Arabia’s maritime links with regional and global ports. The initiative comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz following the ongoing US-Iran conflict, which has significantly impacted shipping routes, energy markets, and global supply chains.
In parallel, Mawani has also introduced the “Red Sea Express” service linking Jeddah and Yanbu with Egypt’s Ain Sokhna and Jordan’s Aqaba ports. The service offers a capacity of 1,100 TEUs and is expected to improve regional cargo movement, strengthen trade integration, and provide alternative maritime corridors amid growing uncertainty in the Gulf region.
Saudi Arabia has been accelerating investments in port infrastructure, logistics parks, shipping connectivity, and multimodal trade corridors as part of its long-term economic diversification agenda. By enhancing connectivity between Asia, Africa, and Europe, the Kingdom aims to establish itself as a critical gateway for global trade while improving supply-chain resilience across the region.
The latest shipping services highlight Saudi Arabia’s growing focus on developing alternative maritime routes and expanding regional logistics capabilities at a time when geopolitical instability continues to reshape international shipping patterns and trade flows.
Marex Media