King Abdullah Economic City, April 2021: Demonstrating its commitment to long-term growth and industry excellence, King Abdullah Port has ranked second globally in terms of growth according to Alphaliner, the global leader in analyzing maritime transport data, port capabilities and the future of vessels and shipping route development. The Port improved its ranking globally by an astounding 10 positions, from 83rd to 73rd, in Alphaliner’s list of the 100 largest container ports in the world in 2021.
Commenting on the achievement, Jay New, Chief Executive Officer of King Abdullah Port, said: “Intrinsic to King Abdullah Port’s overarching strategy is a firm belief in the importance of achieving consistent, sustainable growth above all. As the Kingdom’s newest port facility, establishing ourselves as a world-class trade and logistics hub that delivers long-term value, year upon year, to our stakeholders is what has helped solidify our reputation both regionally and globally. Having been ranked the world’s second growing port for the second time, a recognition we first received in 2018, is a testament to our foresight, steadfastness and dedication to enhancing our operational capabilities on every level.”
King Abdullah Port substantially raised its throughput during the year 2021, from 2.15 million TEU in 2020 to 2.81 million TEU. With a 30.6% volume growth, it is second only to the Mexican Port of Lazaro Cardenas.
The Alphaliner rankings follow King Abdullah Port’s recent recognition as Best Container Terminal and Best Bulk & General Cargo Terminal at the 2021 International Finance Transportation Awards which was preceded in December 2021 by the “Outstanding Achievement” award from Seatrade Maritime Awards Middle East, Indian Subcontinent & Africa. This industry recognition reflects the port’s impressive performance throughout 2021, which saw a 31% increase in container throughput and a 15% increase in bulk and general cargo. Furthermore, they were recently called on by Maersk ME4 Westbound service to support Saudi Arabia’s exporters by bringing its ocean service closer to its 100,000 m2 non-bonded area offering integrated logistics solutions and working as a hub for petrochemicals .
Owned by the Ports Development Company, King Abdullah Port is the region’s first port to be owned, developed, and operated by the private sector. Ranked as the world’s second most efficient port by The World Bank in 2020, the port emerged as one of the world’s top 100 ports within four years of operation. With its strategic location in King Abdullah Economic City – a modern city with a pro-business ecosystem and infrastructure – King Abdullah Port leverages the city’s advanced facilities and services, particularly the Industrial Valley, which has attracted many logistics projects as well as light and medium industries.
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About King Abdullah Port
Strategically located on the Red Sea coast in King Abdullah Economic City, King Abdullah Port, ranked by The World Bank as the world’s second most efficient port in 2020, is the Middle East’s first privately owned, developed and operated port. Occupying an area of 17.4 km2, and enjoying close proximity to the key Saudi cities of Jeddah, Holy Makkah, Al Madinah and Yanbu, as well as its direct access to extensive transportation networks that facilitates the cargo transport through the kingdom and the rest of the region, the port is making an increasingly important contribution to the Kingdom’s global role in maritime trade and logistics. Once fully completed, King Abdullah Port will be capable of handling 25 million TEU, 1.5 million CEU and 25 million tons of clean bulk cargo annually.
With state-of-the-art infrastructure and processing facilities, the world’s deepest 18-m berths, multi-level expanding operations, in addition to a fully-integrated Port Community System, the Smart Gate system and multipurpose bonded and re-export zones, King Abdullah Port reflects the important role of the private sector in realizing Vision 2030.
