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Saudi Shipping Record: Maersk Reinforces Jeddah Port’s Position

Published

4 days ago

3rd June 2026

Huda Az

Jeddah Islamic Port has demonstrated its capacity to handle megaships by successfully accommodating one of Maersk's largest cargo vessels.

Jeddah Islamic Port has reached a new operational milestone by carrying one of the world’s largest cargo ships, belonging to Maersk. This illustrates the port’s capacity to handle megaships and its operating strength.

The accomplishment coincides with ongoing efforts to upgrade the port’s infrastructure. One of Saudi Arabia’s largest seaports, Jeddah Islamic Port, serves as a vital entry point for foreign trade on the Kingdom’s west coast.

This article discusses a record-breaking achievement and its strategic implications, underscoring the significance of Jeddah Islamic Port.

Jeddah Port Hits Record Milestone

With the first handling operation of more than 17,200 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) on board the ship Maersk Hamburg, Jeddah Islamic Port has reached a new milestone at its South Container Terminal.

The ship is roughly 366 metres long, 48 metres broad, and has a draft of 16 metres, according to official measurements from the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani).

According to local analysts, this accomplishment shows the port’s sophisticated operating capabilities and its capacity to manage big ships. This boosts supply chain efficiency and makes local ports more competitive.

Strategic Dimensions

This accomplishment has substantial geoeconomic significance and is not just a matter of numbers. This digital transformation aligns with extensive expenditures overseen by Mawani, which are intended to update container facilities to the highest levels of automation and quality.

Furthermore, the continuous development of supply chains contributes to increasing the efficiency of ship handling with zero waiting times, as well as increasing their capacity, which constitutes a driving force for achieving the goals of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy, which seeks to enhance the Kingdom’s position as one of the continental linking channels, and to consolidate the role of Red Sea ports as a major competitive corridor for sustainable global transportation.

New Shipping Service

Jeddah Port now has an OCR (Open Container Terminal) service run by CMA CGM thanks to the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani). The goal of this action is to improve operational effectiveness and supply chain efficiency, as well as increase marine connectivity between the Kingdom and international markets.

Using ships with a capacity of about 10,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), the shipping service links Jeddah Islamic Port with the ports of Yokohama, Kobe, and Nagoya in Japan; Hamburg in Germany; Rotterdam in the Netherlands; Nansha, Yantian, and Xiamen in China; and Southampton in the United Kingdom.

Importance of Jeddah Port

Jeddah Islamic Port’s major contribution to marine trade is what makes it so important. With over 5,000 cargo ships passing through each year, it is one of Saudi Arabia’s biggest and most significant commercial ports. So, it manages around 75% of the marine and transhipment cargo that passes through the Kingdom’s ports. The port, which is 12.5 square kilometres in size and has 62 berths, is roughly 12.3 kilometres long overall.

These berths have numerous uses, including container handling, general cargo, and passenger terminals. There are roughly 1,752 state-of-the-art cargo handling units at the port.

As a vital connection between three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—Jeddah Port can be regarded as an international hub. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s ongoing record-breaking accomplishments demonstrate its dedication to strengthening its position in international maritime trade.