AMMAN — The Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) revealed that the maritime transport sector in the Arab region attracted 146 foreign projects with a total investment value of nearly $4 billion over the past 23 years.

In its fourth sectoral report for 2025 on maritime transport in Arab countries, issued Sunday from its headquarters in Kuwait City, the corporation said five Arab countries; Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Mauritania.

The Arab countries attracted 114 of these projects, accounting for 78 per cent of the total, with investments amounting to nearly $3.8 billion, or more than 91 per cent of total Arab investments in the sector.

The report, which examines four main pillars; fleets and ports, sector trade, foreign investment projects, and risk assessments and incentives, indicated that Japan ranked as "leading" investor in the Arab maritime transport sector over the past 23 years, with investments totalling $784 million, representing 19 per cent of the total.

Germany followed with a 16 per cent share, while the United States accounted for 15 per cent.

Regarding intra-Arab investments, the report indicated that six Arab countries, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Morocco, and Egypt, participated in 11 joint projects valued at more than $218 million.

Five companies, Kanoo Shipping of Bahrain, Triple F of Saudi Arabia, and the UAE-based Abu Dhabi Ports, Gulf Agency Company (GAC), and Gulf Marine Services, accounted for 89 per cent of these investments.

Based on the results of the logistics sector risk assessment, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, and Kuwait ranked among the most attractive Arab destinations for logistics sector investment in 2025.

The report also pointed to a 4 per cent increase in the size of the Arab merchant fleet, reaching 2,900 vessels in 2025 based on actual ship ownership.

The cargo capacity of these vessels rose by 4.6 per cent to around 109 million metric tonnes of deadweight tonnage, representing about 5 per cent of global shipping capacity.

In terms of cargo movement, Arab ports received more than 423 million metric tonnes of cargo in 2023, with 58 per cent handled by the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

During the same year, around 1.6 billion metric tonnes of cargo were loaded through Arab ports, representing 14 per cent of global cargo shipments, with oil accounting for 58 per cent of total handled cargo.

Cargo handling volumes at 10 Arab ports increased by 19 per cent in 2023 compared with 2019, reaching about 59 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), with more than half of this activity concentrated in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

The report also showed an improvement in the average Arab ranking on the Shipping Connectivity Index in the fourth quarter of 2024, led by the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

In addition, 71 Arab ports were listed in the Global Shipping Connectivity Index out of more than 930 ports worldwide.

Leading the Arab rankings were the ports of Jebel Ali Port, Tangier Med Port, Khalifa Port, Jeddah Islamic Port, Port of Alexandria, Port Said Port, King Abdulaziz Port, Damietta Port, Port of Salalah, and Port of Casablanca.

Regarding foreign trade in maritime transport services across 11 Arab countries, the report showed a 12 per cent increase in 2024, exceeding $53 billion and representing 25 per cent of total Arab trade in transport services.

This growth was driven by a 14 per cent rise in maritime transport service exports from Arab countries, reaching about $9 billion, alongside a 13 per cent increase in imports to nearly $45 billion.

Established in 1974 and headquartered in Kuwait City, the Arab Investment and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation is a joint Arab institution owned by Arab states along with four Arab financial institutions.

The organisation holds an A+ rating with a stable outlook from S&P Global Ratings and is regarded as the world’s first multilateral investment guarantee institution.

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