Riyadh, August 17, 2020, SPA -- The General Authority for Ports (MAWANI), in cooperation with the Saudi Customs, announced today the abolishment of the requirement to issue permits to load transshipment containers and goods, as part of a series of initiatives seeking to facilitate procedures for transshipment in the Saudi port sector. This decision aims to facilitate procedures for handling containers and reduce operational costs, which will contribute to attracting the largest international shipping lines, in addition to stimulating the movement of goods transshipment and raising the efficiency of handling and logistical operations in the port sector. It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia’s ports currently acquire approximately 20% of the transshipment market in the region, as well as an 80% control of the total transshipment market on the Red Sea, seeking to reach more than 50% in the region in the transshipment market by 2030. This will be achieved by increasing the size of the transshipment market in Saudi Arabia's ports on the Red Sea coast, in addition to the activation of other services to attract more transshipment vessels, thus contributing to the consolidation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position as a global logistics center and hub connecting the three continents, in line with the pillars of the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP) and in accordance with the Saudi Vision 2030. --SPA 12:54 LOCAL TIME 09:54 GMT 0006 www.spa.gov.sa/w1392163