The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) announced Sunday the launch of a new transshipment service linking King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain, and the Far East ports, in partnership with the Saudi International Ports and Shipping Line (OOCL.

This represents a further step corresponding to MAWANI's strategy to increase the efficiency of linking Saudi ports with international ports, and to attract major international shipping line companies.

The new service, which will start from King Abdulaziz Port, aims to increase transshipment quantities and enhance the flow of commercial traffic between Saudi Arabia and the regional and international destinations across the world.

King Abdulaziz Port Dammam will continue to develop itself as the preferred transshipment hub port for the region, connecting ports in the Upper Gulf Region such as Bahrain to the world.

The new service aims to increase the transshipment quantities at King Abdulaziz Port Dammam and contribute to developing the regional and international business trade between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, States of the region, and the entire world.

The new service comes as a continuation of the initiatives launched under MAWANI’s ambitious strategy that aims to increase Saudi Arabia’s links with leading seaports around the world and attract major international shipping lines to the Kingdom’s ports.

MAWANI seeks to advance the Kingdom’s share in the transshipment market from 21% currently to 50% by 2030, in addition to gaining the largest share of maritime trade transiting the Red Sea, and attracting an additional share of transshipment operations around the world to Saudi ports through the implementation of various pioneering projects.

This will contribute to consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global center for logistics services, in line with the objectives of the national strategy for transport and logistics services. MAWANI also aims to attract a major share of the global transshipment operations to Saudi ports by implementing several pioneering projects and initiatives