Saudi Arabia`s total volume of cargo handled through its ports exceeded 331 million tonnes in 2024 according to GASTAT. Outbound cargo reached 222.4 million tonnes, marking a 9.3% increase against the same period in 2023. Inbound cargo totalled 108.9 million tonnes, reflecting a 3.6% increase from the previous year.
King Fahd Industrial Port Records 51% Of Total Exports
The figures were revealed in the 2024 Maritime Transport Statistics Publication recently released by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT). In terms of the Kingdom’s top export volume, King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu ranked first, with 51.1% of total exports. King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam recorded a 35% share, receiving a total of 38 million tonnes of imports. In addition, the report noted the total quantity of cargo handled exceeded 334 million tonnes. King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu ranked as the top port again, accounting for 39.7% of cargo handled. Meanwhile, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam ranked first in handling standard containers, with a share of 51.1%. Liquid bulk cargo also topped the list of handled goods, with a total exceeding 177 million tonnes.
Transshipment Cargo Exceeds 21 Million Tonnes
Further data showed the total quantity of transshipment cargo at the Kingdom’s ports exceeded 21 million tonnes. It consisted of 10.4 million tonnes unloaded and nearly 11 million tonnes loaded, equalling approximately two million containers in total. Notably, a total of 8,693 ships arrived at Saudi Arabian ports with Jeddah Islamic Port receiving 3,805 of them. It was followed by King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with 1,980 ships, while NEOM Port ranked third with 951 ships. Further data showed that the total number of inbound and outbound containers exceeded 2.5 million. The results also indicated the total number of passengers arriving and departing were recorded at approximately 912,800.
According to GASTAT, the Maritime Transport Statistics Publication is an annual publication that provides a comprehensive set of statistics. It is based on administrative data from the Saudi Ports Authority and various official commissions and authorities.
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