Riyadh: Container handling at ports under the General Authority for Ports, known as Mawani, experienced a significant 13% increase in May 2025, reaching 720,684 TEUs compared to 639,736 TEUs during the same period in 2024.
According to Saudi Press Agency, transshipment containers rose by 12.89%, totaling 149,143 TEUs, compared to 132,112 TEUs last year. Imported containers saw a 15.84% increase, reaching 292,223 TEUs, up from 252,265 TEUs. Outgoing containers also grew by 9.38%, reaching 279,318 standard containers compared to 255,359 standard containers in the previous year. The total handled tonnage, encompassing general cargo, solid bulk cargo, and liquid bulk cargo, increased by 1.40% to 21,337,699 tons compared to 21,042,684 tons during the same period last year. Specifically, general cargo accounted for 935,932 tons, solid bulk cargo for 5,059,899 tons, and liquid bulk cargo for 15,341,868 tons.
The ports also saw a considerable increase in livestock, receiving 1,635,489 heads of cattle, marking a 61.22% rise from 1,014,417 during the same period last year. Maritime traffic recorded a 9.39% increase, with 1,083 ships compared to 990 ships the previous year. The number of passengers rose by 68.15%, reaching 95,231, compared to 56,636 passengers last year. Vehicle numbers also saw a 13.09% increase, reaching 84,352 compared to 74,590 vehicles last year.
It is worth noting that in April 2025, the ports also witnessed a 13.43% increase in the number of handled containers, reaching 625,430 standard containers compared to 551,373 standard containers in the same period of 2024.