The Dubai-based Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) and port operator DP World launched the first direct shipping line connecting UAE’s Jebel Ali Port in Dubai with Egypt’s Sokhna Port through Jeddah Islamic Port.
The new shipping line, the fourth to be launched by Mawani in 2020, aims to provide shipping services on the Red Sea coast.
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The move comes in line with the Ministry of Transport’s vision to link the Kingdom to the surrounding countries by sea, land and air, in a strategy aimed to unlock numerous opportunities utilising the unique location of Saudi Arabia and connecting it intermodally with Europe and Africa.
MAWANI indeed awarded DP World in December last year with a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) concession, for management and development of the Jeddah South Container Terminal at the multi-purpose Jeddah Islamic Port.
Specifically, under the agreement, DP World will invest up to $500 million to improve and modernise the Jeddah Islamic Port, including major infrastructure development to enable the Port to serve ultra-large container carriers (ULCC’s).
The launch of the new shipping line is part of Mawani’s ambitious initiatives to achieve its strategic goals set by the National Industrial Development and Logistics Programme (NIDLP) to support economic growth, foster investments and contribute to achieving Saudi Vision 2030 positioning Saudi Arabia as a global centre for logistics,
…said HE Eng. Saad Alkhalb, President of Saudi Ports Authority “MAWANI”.