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Saudi Arabia has introduced a new maritime shipping service connecting Jeddah Islamic Port with the Port of Salalah in Oman and the Port of Djibouti, marking another significant step in the Kingdom’s strategy to strengthen regional logistics integration and reinforce its role as a global trade hub. The service, launched by the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), is designed to improve cargo movement across the Red Sea corridor while enhancing connectivity between Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
The newly launched route is expected to support faster cargo transit, improve supply chain resilience and create more efficient trade flows for regional importers and exporters. According to reports, the service has a carrying capacity of approximately 1,730 TEUs and is part of broader initiatives aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic diversification agenda.
Industry observers view the development as strategically important amid ongoing geopolitical and maritime security concerns in the region, particularly disruptions affecting commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. As shipping lines and cargo owners seek alternative and more secure trade corridors, Saudi Arabia has accelerated investment in Red Sea infrastructure and port connectivity.
Jeddah Islamic Port remains one of the Kingdom’s most critical maritime gateways, handling a substantial share of Saudi Arabia’s imports and transshipment cargo. The addition of direct links to Salalah and Djibouti strengthens Saudi Arabia’s access to East African markets while also improving feeder connectivity to major international shipping networks operating through Oman’s Port of Salalah, a key regional transshipment hub.
The launch also reflects Mawani’s broader push to enhance operational efficiency across Saudi ports and attract additional global shipping services. In recent months, the authority has announced several new regional and international shipping routes, including the “Red Sea Express” service linking Yanbu with ports in Egypt and Jordan. These initiatives are intended to reduce transit times, improve port competitiveness and support non-oil exports.
Saudi Arabia continues to position its western coastline and Red Sea ports as strategic alternatives for global trade movement, particularly as supply chains increasingly prioritize diversification and resilience. The Kingdom’s investments in logistics infrastructure, customs modernization and multimodal connectivity are central to its ambition of becoming a leading logistics hub connecting three continents.
For the regional shipping and logistics sector, the Jeddah–Salalah–Djibouti service signals growing momentum toward stronger intra-regional maritime integration. Analysts believe the corridor could help facilitate higher trade volumes, improve supply chain flexibility and create new opportunities for cargo operators serving Red Sea and East African markets.
๐๐ญ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ https://cargoconnect.co.in/ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ
India is stepping up efforts to establish itself as a global hub for ship ownership, leasing and maritime finance, with GIFT City in Gujarat emerging as a key platform for developing an integrated maritime financial ecosystem. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal outlined the governmentโs ambition at the India Ship Leasing and Financing Summit held at GIFT City, Gandhinagar. Organised by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the summit brought together shipowners, lessors, charterers, financiers, policymakers and other maritime stakeholders. Sonowal said the objective is to build a comprehensive ecosystem covering ship ownership, leasing, financing, insurance, brokering and allied services. โThis gathering marks a significant milestone in our collective journey to position India, and particularly GIFT City, as a global maritime hub for a comprehensive maritime value chain ecosystem, encompassing ship leasing, owning, financing, insurance, brokering and other ancillary services,โ Sonowal said. Indiaโs ship-leasing ecosystem has already begun expanding. According to the Minister, 38 ship lessors are currently registered in the country, collectively leasing 43 vessels with total leasing capacity exceeding 2.99 million DWT. Of these, 24 vessels fly the Indian flag. Meanwhile, 41 domestic and international banks operating in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) have extended nearly USD 60.1 million in funding to ship-leasing entities. Sonowal also highlighted policy reforms designed to improve the competitiveness of Indian shipping. These include exemption from licensing requirements under the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025, for foreign vessels operating on charter and permission for GIFT IFSC-based shipping companies to own foreign-flag vessels. โMore fundamentally, it marks a shift in how we count our fleet, from tonnage that flies our flag to tonnage that we own and control. PM Narendra Modi's dynamic leadership has carried GIFT City from thought to fruition, and it is now poised to be the launchpad for India's next wave of maritime growthโ The government is also backing the maritime sector through substantial financial measures. The โน25,000 crore Maritime Development Fund is expected to catalyse investments of up to โน1.5 lakh crore by 2030, while the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme (SBFAS) 2.0 has a revised outlay of โน24,736 crore, extended to 2036. These initiatives are aimed at strengthening domestic shipbuilding, vessel ownership and the wider maritime ecosystem. The initiatives align with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, which seek to expand Indiaโs fleet, strengthen port capacity and coastal shipping, and position the country among the worldโs top five shipbuilding nations. Sonowal also highlighted Indiaโs growing role in ship recycling, with its share of global ship-recycling tonnage rising from 30.1% in 2024 to 35.4% in 2025. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฒย ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ย ๐ญ๐จย CARGOCONNECTย ๐๐จ๐ซย ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญย ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ!
Paradip Port Authority (PPA) has achieved a significant operational milestone with the successful berthing of MV Mineral Kwangyang, its first-ever Capesize vessel with a 16.5-metre draft, at Western Dock-1 (WD-1). The development marks a major step forward in the portโs deep-draft vessel handling capabilities and reinforces its position as a key maritime gateway for bulk cargo in eastern India. The 292-metre-long and 45-metre-wide vessel arrived carrying 152,702 metric tonnes of coking coal from Hay Point, Australia. Its successful berthing demonstrates Paradip Portโs growing ability to accommodate larger bulk carriers and handle substantial cargo volumes through a single vessel call. The milestone is particularly significant for the portโs logistics and cargo-handling operations, as deeper-draft capabilities allow larger vessels to carry higher volumes, potentially improving economies of scale, cargo evacuation and overall supply chain efficiency. The development also strengthens Paradipโs role in supporting Indiaโs bulk cargo and industrial supply chains, particularly across the eastern region. Susanta Kumar Purohit, IRSEE, Chairperson, Paradip Port Authority, congratulated Team PPA and Team JPPL for their coordinated efforts in executing the landmark operation. The successful berthing underscores the portโs operational preparedness, infrastructure capabilities and focus on safely handling larger vessels. The achievement comes amid a broader infrastructure expansion programme at Paradip. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal earlier inaugurated seven major infrastructure projects worth โน427.80 crore at PPA, marking the portโs 18.5-metre deep-draft capability and its one-millionth tree milestone. He also witnessed the signing of concession agreements for three mechanisation projects worth โน1,580.36 crore, aimed at strengthening cargo-handling capacity, operational efficiency and reducing vessel turnaround time. Sonowal said: "The expansion of Paradip Port's capacity is not only about strengthening one port; it is about creating a growth multiplier for eastern India. With deeper drafts, modern cargo-handling infrastructure, improved connectivity and greater mechanisation, Paradip is well positioned to drive trade, logistics, industry and employment across the region and contribute to India's emergence as a globally competitive maritime economy," With deeper berthing capability, infrastructure modernisation and increased mechanisation, Paradip Port is positioning itself to handle the next generation of large vessels while supporting higher cargo throughput and more efficient maritime logistics. The latest Capesize berthing therefore represents not only an operational achievement but also another step in strengthening Indiaโs maritime infrastructure and eastern trade gateway. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฒย ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ย ๐ญ๐จย CARGOCONNECTย ๐๐จ๐ซย ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญย ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ!
Chinaโs Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has overtaken Singapore to become the worldโs second-busiest container port during the first half of 2026, according to the latest container throughput rankings compiled by shipping analyst Alphaliner. The shift marks a notable change in the global port hierarchy, although the margin between the two gateways remains narrow.ย Ningbo-Zhoushan handledย 22.90 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs)ย between January and June 2026, registering anย 8.8% year-on-year increase. Singapore, meanwhile, processedย 22.74 million TEUs, up 4.7% from the corresponding period last year. The difference of roughly 160,000 TEUs highlights the increasingly competitive race for the second position.ย Shanghai retained its position as the worldโs busiest container port, handling approximatelyย 28.74 million TEUsย in the first half of 2026, an increase of 6.2% year on year. The latest ranking therefore places two Chinese ports at the top, with Ningbo-Zhoushan moving ahead of Singapore for the first time over a complete six-month reporting period.ย Jintang Expansion Strengthens Ningbo-Zhoushan Ningbo-Zhoushanโs stronger growth has been supported by capacity expansion and improved international connectivity. The second phase of theย Jintang container hubย was completed in July 2026, bringing all five operational container berths within the expanded development. During the first half of the year, Jintang addedย 17 international shipping routes, while its container volumes increased by 23.4%. The expansion is expected to strengthen the port complexโs ability to accommodate rising cargo demand and serve an expanding network of global trade lanes.ย The port has experienced significant growth over the past two decades, crossing 20 million TEUs in 2015 and 30 million TEUs in 2021. In 2025, it exceeded 40 million TEUs for the first time, handling 43.87 million TEUs for the full year. Singapore remained ahead in the annual ranking, recording 44.66 million TEUs.ย Competition Expected to Remain Close Despite Ningbo-Zhoushanโs first-half lead, Singapore remains a formidable competitor. Alphaliner has indicated that Ningbo-Zhoushanโs growth could moderate during the second half of 2026, leaving open the possibility of Singapore reclaiming the second position. For global supply chains, the development underscores how port investments, shipping connectivity, cargo generation and changing trade patterns are reshaping the competitive landscape. With only a small volume separating the two ports, the battle for the worldโs second-busiest container gateway is likely to remain closely watched through the remainder of 2026. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฒย ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ย ๐ญ๐จย CARGOCONNECTย ๐๐จ๐ซย ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญย ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ!
