Saudi Global Ports (SGP) plans to plug SAR 3.5 bn into Dammam over the next five years in a bid to snap up a larger share of the transhipment cargo market from the UAE, Chief Executive Rob Harrison told Arabian Business. The investments will span Dammam Port and zones to create a hub capable of competing with established Emirati peers, Harrison said, noting the success of Jebel Ali and Khalifa Port as models for building regional logistics hubs.

The breakdown: The firm has earmarked SAR 2 bn for the development of container terminals, which are expected to account for up to 85% of its topline. On top of this, SAR 665 mn is allocated to the upgrade of equipment at existing multipurpose terminals, while the remaining SAR 670 mn will go toward the company’s Dammam integrated logistics park.

Why Dammam?

Dammam Port is nestled only some 400 km from Riyadh — a core node in the country’s diversification effort — giving it a leg up in comparison to its counterpart Jeddah Port on the Red Sea coast, which sits 1k km away from the Kingdom’s capital. Cargo entering the Kingdom from Jebel Ali or Khalifa Port also faces a 1k km journey, on top of a border crossing. Saudi Global Ports also currently operates five to seven daily rail services between Dammam and two locations in Riyadh.

Why it matters

The move looks to capture a larger portion of cargo flowing through the GCC, specifically putting Saudi Global Ports in competition with UAE ports. To do this, Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port needs to substantially ramp up its handling capacity, which currently stands at just under 3.9 mn TEUs. This falls well behind the UAE’s leading heavyweights, with Jebel Ali boasting a 19.3 mn TEU capacity in 1H 2025 and Khalifa Port’s standing at 9.6 mn TEU.

Our take: Emerging strong because of, not despite, volatility

SGP appears to be taking stock of the lessons learned over the last two years, in which deeper integration of logistics and industrial services emerged as a critical tool for port operators to hedge against shipping volatility.

Leveraging new routes for global shipping: The port operator ran at 122% capacity in 2024, as its ports served as an alternative stop for container ships diverted around the Cape of Good Hope. “We’ve benefited from having more volume but the real strategic benefit is that we’ve been able to show we are a viable supply chain routing,” Harrison explained.

Logistics providers are routing containers through Dammam via rail rather than through Jeddah or UAE ports, a trend that is backed by the growing number of warehouses popping up on the Kingdom’s east coast and in Riyadh.

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