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Saudi ports handled 5.2 million containers by August as 33 new services added
Maritime congress in Jeddah addresses supply chain pressures as container capacity through Suez Canal reaches 36 percent of total.
Saudi Arabia's ports handled 5.2 million containers by the end of August 2026, with 33 new maritime shipping services added since the start of the year, the Transport General Authority reported as the Saudi Maritime and Logistics Congress opened in Jeddah. More than 500,000 lorries moved cargo between ports, factories and warehouses across the Kingdom and Gulf states during the period. H.E. Eng. Fawaz Bin Znaf Alsahli, President of the Transport General Authority, disclosed the figures to delegates at the opening session.
Suez Canal transits recover to 36 percent of routing choices#
Capacity moving through the Suez Canal on container ships surpassed half the 2023 volume for the first time since disruption started, according to figures presented at the congress. During the first two weeks of October, vessels selecting the canal rather than the Cape route accounted for 36 percent of capacity, up from approximately 8 percent across the prior two years. Jeddah's port processed a record 540,107 containers in July, data disclosed at the event showed.
Service network connects Jeddah, Yanbu and King Abdullah Port with regional destinations#
New maritime services now link Jeddah, Yanbu and King Abdullah Port with Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Djibouti and Europe, the congress heard. Jay New, CEO of King Abdullah Port, described transit cargo volumes moving via the port and onward through Saudi Arabia to the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. The port handled minimal volumes of this traffic seven or eight months earlier, he stated. The pattern reflects changing routing decisions as businesses adjust to supply chain pressures.
Congress convenes 200 exhibitors and 120 speakers in Jeddah#
More than 200 exhibitors and 120 speakers gathered at Jeddah Superdome to discuss shipping disruption, port investment and supply chain resilience. Mohaned El Mahgoub, Vice President at Tahaluf, said the congress provided a platform to address challenges and explore solutions at a time when global supply chains face uncertainty. Akshay Anand, CEO of ABSA Al Barrak Group, described the pressure on the transportation industry and the sector's response in maintaining cargo flows. Essam M Alamari, Deputy for Maritime Transport at TGA, addressed safety requirements and coordination, while Poul Hestbaek, CEO of Folk Maritime, examined the cost of maintaining capacity to absorb shifts in cargo flows.
Sources2 sources across 2 domains
- logisticsmiddleeast.comLogistics Middle East200 exhibitors and 120 speakers gathered in Jeddah
- cbnme.comCBNME5.2 million containers handled by end-August, 33 new services added, 500,000 lorries moved, Suez Canal capacity figures, Jeddah port July record, new service network details, King Abdullah Port transit cargo statement
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MENA Trade Monitor is published by Arabian Media Network. Pieces are produced by the Chokepoint Watch with AI-assisted synthesis of the cited sources and automated verification against the network's editorial policy. Every piece carries a desk rather than a reporter. Corrections are recorded on the piece and on the corrections page.
Transits, closures, advisories, war risk premia and rerouting cost for Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb and Suez. Same day, same shape, always numbers.