Saudi Ports Authority Mawani, in partnership with Folk Maritime and SABIC, has launched the “Red Sea Express” shipping service at King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, with the goal of speeding up cargo handling in the facility, which will in turn cut short waiting times and improve supply chain efficiency.
As per the Mawani statement, the new line connects King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu, Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt, and Aqaba Port in Jordan, apart from possessing a cargo carrying capacity of up to 1,100 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Red Sea Express’ task is simple: supporting the Kingdom’s economy, especially its “Vision 2030” efforts, by increasing non-oil exports, apart from attracting investments and reinforcing the role of ports as a key economic driver for the Kingdom and the wider Gulf region, amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.
“The new line builds on Mawani’s ongoing expansion of shipping services with major global carriers as the authority works to strengthen Saudi Arabia’s connectivity with regional and international markets. Under its National Transport and Logistics Strategy, the Kingdom aims to increase annual port container throughput to 40 million TEUs by 2030,” the authority said.
“The launch of a direct shipping line between King Fahd Industrial Port in Yanbu and Ain Sokhna Port in Egypt and Aqaba Port in Jordan represents a qualitative leap in the logistics services system. It also reflects the integration of efforts between leading national companies, most notably Folk Maritime and SABIC, contributing to enhancing export efficiency and supporting trade,” it added further.
“This shipping line enhances the commercial competitiveness of national exports by reducing shipping times and transportation costs, thereby increasing the attractiveness of national products and providing a wider scope for trade in competitive national agricultural products for logistics services and consolidating the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub, in line with Saudi Vision 2030,” Mawani remarked.
Talking about the King Fahd Industrial Port, it is the largest facility on the Red Sea for loading crude oil and petrochemical products, with a handling capacity of 210 million tonnes annually. Mawani, on the other hand, hit a new feat in 2025 by helping Saudi ports supervised by it to record a 10.58% year-on-year increase in container volumes, reaching 8.3 million standard containers.