Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Port recorded a 6.6 percent increase in container throughput in 2020, reaching 2.15 million twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) compared to 2.02 TEU in 2019.

The number of imported containers also rose 16 percent compared to the previous year, it said in a statement on Sunday.

In the bulk and general cargo segment, the port registered a 12.4 percent growth last year, reaching 3.3 million tons, compared to 2.9 million tons in 2019.

Amid last year’s global challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the port facilitated the flow of various goods into the Kingdom. Imports of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies rose 72 percent increase during the first eight months of 2020.

There was also a 15 percent increase in the imports of building materials.

Moreover, the port completed the handling and transportation of 3,200 tons of huge equipment for the Petro Rabigh Phase II upgrading.

The port also received three of the world’s largest container ships in the same week, thanks to its infrastructure equipped with 18- meter-deep berths designed to receive mega container ships. The port was also selected as the main logistics terminal on the Red Sea for two of the largest shipping lines, Maersk and MSC, as part of the new shipping routes recently launched by the two companies.

Run by the Ports Development Company, King Abdullah Port is the first port in the region to be fully owned, developed, and operated by the private sector. 

(Writing by Brinda Darasha; editing by Daniel Luiz)

brinda.darasha@refinitiv.com

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