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Jeddah’s Southern Container Terminal is open for business: The Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) and Dubai-based DP World inaugurated the SAR 3 bn (USD 800 mn) Southern Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port after a multi-year expansion and development work, according to a press release published on Thursday. The expansion will increase the terminal’s handling capacity from 1.8 mn to 4 mn TEUs, with the target to reach 5 mn TEUs eventually.
Cutting-edge: The 2.15k meter quay — with 18 meter deep-water capacity — will now be able to handle up to five large container ships simultaneously. The modernized terminal integrates automation, IoT cargo tracking, and AI load analysis to reduce gate transaction times from two minutes to just 10 seconds. The capacity for refrigerated containers was also doubled to 2.34k from 1.2k. Meanwhile, automated and electrified yard cranes were introduced, and three more quay cranes are expected to be added to reach 17 cranes by the end of this year.
Sustainability-focused: Mawani and DP World aim to cut the terminal’s carbon emissions by 50% within five years by adopting electric cranes and trucks, green building designs, and water recycling systems, the statement said.
IN CONTEXT- The SAR 3 bn expansion project — included in a 30-year concession agreement that DP World secured in April 2020 — is part of a series of concession contracts totaling SAR 9 bn that Mawani awarded for DP World and Red Sea Gateway Terminal under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.
More in the pipeline: DP World is building a new facility with a capacity to inspect up to 75 reefer containers at once — the largest in the Kingdom, according to the press release. The Dubai-based giant is also working on a SAR 900 mn logistics park in collaboration with Mawani spanning 415k sqm to enhance storage, distribution, and shipping services, set to be completed by 2Q 2025.
Boosting trade: The logistics park is slated to provide importers and exporters with numerous benefits, such as services linking port operations to last-mile activities, access to bonded and unbonded zones, temperature-controlled storage, import and export consolidation centers, and various other value-added services.
