RIYADH: A new shipping service has been added to Dammam’s King Abdulaziz Port linking it with India and Iraq, the Saudi Ports Authority said on Tuesday. The India-Saudi-Iraq service was added by the Bengal Tiger Line, a Singapore-based company, it added. The addition affirms the authority’s goal to “improve the maritime navigation network’s connectivity index with international shipping services and shipping lines.” This also aligns with the goals and objectives of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics center and a connecting hub for the three continents. The ISI connects the King Abdulaziz Port with the Indian port Mundra and the Iraqi port Umm Qasr, with a carrying capacity of 929 standard containers. In January, the ports authority approved five new shipping services linking the Kingdom with as many as 43 international ports. The five new services are projected to support commercial traffic, strengthen the national imports and exports system, as well as provide alternatives for importers, exporters, and shipping agents. In addition, the new services will enable the authority to back the logistics system and upgrade the services of importers, exporters, and shipping agents. The five new services are dispersed across three Saudi ports — Jeddah Islamic Port, King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, and Jubail Commercial Port.