RIYADH — Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) announced on Wednesday the launch of a new shipping line connecting Saudi Arabia with East African countries through CMA CGM, the world's leading company in shipping and support services. This will be CMA CGM's first container shipping line to reach King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu and that would contribute to enhancing the movement of exports and imports to and from Yanbu. This is part of the continuous efforts made by MAWANI towards concluding strategic partnerships with major international shipping lines, developing the capabilities of Saudi ports and raising the level of their competitive services, in a way that contributes to developing national exports and imports, investment flows and developing the non-oil state revenues, according to a statement of MAWANI. This also comes within the strategic goals of MAWANI to contribute to raising the Kingdom's competitiveness in terms of investment and logistical services and consolidating the Kingdom's position towards achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 in making the Kingdom a globally attractive logistic platform and a link between three continents of the world. The new shipping line would contribute to linking the Kingdom's major ports of Jeddah Islamic Port and King Fahd Industrial Port of Yanbu with East Africa ports, and it will lead to opening direct lines for shipping and exporting Saudi products, increasing the quantities of handling in Saudi ports, in addition to contributing direct import from East Africa as well as in further boosting trade with East African countries. The new shipping line will provide a new weekly direct service between the Kingdom, Kenya and Somalia through four ships on a weekly basis. The first ship of CMA CGM is expected to arrive in Jeddah port on April 17. CMA CGM, one of the major international shipping lines companies, has 502 ships operating in more than 420 ports on five continents around the world. The shipping giant seeks to enhance its presence in the Kingdom to provide its services in the fields of maritime transport and support services in a market that offers huge economic opportunities with connecting among the United States of America, Europe, the Mediterranean, Kenya and Somalia. It is noteworthy that MAWANI issued last month to CMA CGM a unified license valid for work in all Saudi ports.
