Saudi Ports handle 16 mln tons of food in Jan-Sept 2022
The Kingdom is observing this year's World Food Day at a time when its ports have registered a food throughput of over 16 million tons during the first three quarters of 2022, thereby ensuring a sustained availability and flow of food commodities to local markets while strengthening the nation's supply chains, according to Mawani's release.
Similarly, ports across Saudi Arabia have unloaded around 3,060,281 cattle heads between January and September of this year, which represents a 3.43% year-on-year growth in comparison to 2,958,919 cattle heads previously.
Through a host of 17 different initiatives that centered around supporting the maritime sector and enhancing import and export activity, Mawani was a significant part of national efforts to minimize the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. These steps were pivotal in maintaining the strategic reserves of essential commodities, safeguarding the stability of local markets, and, in turn, achieving record throughput volumes.
The national maritime sector regulator had earlier signed six key deals to build logistics parks with local and global giants like Maersk, LogiPoint, CMA CGM, DP World, Bahri, and Globe Group at a combined value of over SAR2 billion.
Mawani had also signed an investment agreement with United Feed Company (UFC) to build 16 silos at Jazan Port and Ras Al-Khair Port with a one-time storage capacity of one million tons besides developing a full-scale grain distribution and packaging complex, further underscoring the role played by the ports and logistics sectors in driving the growth of Saudi food industries.
