PHOTO
Ports in Egypt are seeing increased activity as more shipments are rerouted due to the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a news report.
The Hurghada and Safaga ports on the Red Sea are under significant pressure due to a surge in sea-to-land transit routes to Jeddah, EnterpriseAM reported, citing three unnamed sources in the maritime and land transport sectors.
Activity at Egyptian ports and the Port of Neom, Saudi Arabia, has increased as land transport replaced sea freight amid the Hormuz closure and the US-Israel conflict.
Nearly 500 shipments are conveyed daily via the Neom-Safaga route, a source said, adding that cargo is piling up pending ferry availability.
Safaga Port handled 42,000 shipments in the first half of March, up 75% year-on-year.
In addition, activity on the Egypt-Jordan land route has almost doubled, with 100 shipments transiting the corridor daily.
However, rising operational costs have led to a 10 percent increase in overland transport rates to the GCC, with land freight services up by 15-17 percent due to higher fuel prices and surging demand, the report stated.
(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)
Subscribe to our Projects' PULSE newsletter that brings you trustworthy news, updates and insights on project activities, developments, and partnerships across sectors in the Middle East and Africa.
