RIYADH: The Saudi Ports Authority, or Mawani, has announced the arrival of MSC Cristiana, a 4,250-vehicle car carrier owned by automobile shipping giant Grimaldi Group, at Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port from the Chinese port of MCID. With major shipping lines sailing toward Saudi waters, the national maritime regulator has scaled yet another milestone as it looks to boost the Kingdom’s liner connectivity with the rest of the world. It also seeks to reinforce its presence as a competitive force on the global scale while bolstering national economic growth and foreign trade in line with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy. King Abdulaziz Port is a highly rated trade and investment hub in the Arabian Gulf, thanks to its close proximity to Jubail’s ports and industrial complex as well as its rail linkages to Riyadh Dry Port and the Saudi railway network. With its suite of world-class operating capabilities and best-in-class infrastructure, which includes 43 berths, the port was ranked 14th in the World Bank’s Container Port Performance Index for 2021. The port has recently added a series of new shipping services to its roster, including the Jebel Ali Bahrain Shuwaikh Service by the Emirates Shipping Line, the Far East to Middle East service by Sea Lead Shipping in partnership with Saudi Global Ports, and the Gulf-India Express 2 service by Aladin Express. These are in addition to the latest expansion of the Gulf China Service by Pacific International Lines through the introduction of Shanghai and Singapore as new ports of call. The shipping services lend their part in enabling a greater market capture of the regional maritime freight market while at the same time positioning King Abdulaziz Port as a global destination.