Photo: APM Terminals
Jeddah Islamic Port (JIP) has seen trade with Morocco jump 117% this year through the promotion of national exports with six key shipping lines, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) said.
“Jeddah Islamic Port represents an ideal launchpad towards Moroccan ports in view of its presence on the Red Sea maritime trade network, in addition to its world-class operating capabilities that include four terminals and 62 multipurpose berths with depths ranging from 7.5 meters to 18 meters over an area of 12.5 square kilometers, and an annual throughput capacity of 130 million tons,” Mawani said.
JIP handled 60.6 million tons of cargo, as well as a total of 4.88m teu of containers, a figure which included 2.76m teu of transhipment boxes, in 2021. Mawani did not say which periods were being compared in the recording of the 117% growth.
In January, it announced the launch of new shipping services from JIP, bolstering partnerships with some of the world’s largest shipping lines, such as Hapag Lloyd, CMA CGM, COSCO and ONE, and connecting the Middle East to Europe and North Africa, and the Indian subcontinent, through key ports, especially Tangier Med in Morocco and Algeciras in Spain.
It said one of the new lines would link JIP with the Indian Ocean and northern Europe. “The service will consist of seven vessels with a capacity equivalent to 8,500 standard containers per vessel, approximately 48 vessels per year, which will allow a greater cargo capacity,” it said.
Tangier Med saw throughput of 7.17m teu in 2021, up 24% on 2020.
