Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) has laid the foundation stone for a logistics corridor connecting Jeddah Islamic Port to the Al Khumrah Logistics Park. It stretches 17km long and includes two lanes in each direction.

 

For the key project, a total of 12 bridges will be constructed along the route to facilitate the movement of trucks between the port and the logistics park, eliminating the need to use the city’s internal road network, said Mawani in a statement.

 

The corridor will include emergency access points, maintenance facilities and a complete rainwater drainage system. It contributes to improving quality of life by lowering carbon emissions and preventing truck congestion.

 

According to Mawani, this corridor will deliver a range of benefits to transporters, importers, exporters, logistics park users, and shipping lines by streamlining cargo and container movement and enhancing supply chain efficiency. It also presents new investment opportunities in the region, it stated.

 

A major project for the kingdom, it is being set up at an investment of SAR689 million ($183.5 million) by Mawani as part of its ongoing efforts to boost the operational efficiency of Jeddah Islamic Port by leveraging the strategic value of the Al Khumrah Logistics Park. 

 

Spanning 12.5 sq km, Jeddah Islamic Port is a major logistics and trade hub on the Red Sea coast which includes 62 multi-purpose berths, as well as a number of specialised terminals and state-of-the-art facilities.

 

The project aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS), to solidify the kingdom’s standing as a global logistics hub bridging the three continents, it stated.

 

Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, Minister of Transport and Logistic Services and Chairman of the Mawani led the ground breaking ceremony which was also attended by the President of Mawani, Eng. Suliman Almazroua, along with senior officials and leaders from the transport and logistics ecosystem.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Al Jasser said this direct logistics corridor will significantly enhance truck movement efficiency and increase the handling capacity of Jeddah Islamic Port by 10%. 

 

"The project will also support the integration of transport modes, strengthen supply chains, and improve infrastructure development," he stated.

 

The dedicated corridor will ease truck flow, enhance traffic efficiency, and improve road safety in Jeddah by reducing congestion through the separation of heavy truck traffic from general traffic routes. It will also eliminate visual and noise pollution around the port area, he added.-TradeArabia News Service