RIYADH: Traffic at the King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam will soon ease thanks to the addition of Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Co.’s new service, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Upper Gulf Express shipping service aligns with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy to position the Kingdom as a global logistics hub connecting three continents, the General Authority of Ports said. The shipping service connects Dammam with the ports of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah in the UAE as well as the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr. The service which is set to launch at the end of May also consolidates the position of the King Abdulaziz Port as the main port through which goods pass from all over the world. In January this year, the ports authority announced the launch of a new freight service at King Abdulaziz Port operated by MSC. The connection allows Dammam to enjoy weekly sailings to eight maritime destinations spanning the Arabian Gulf, South Asia, and Southern Africa. These include the ports of Khalifa bin Salman in Bahrain, Khalifa in the UAE, Qasim in Pakistan, Mundra and Hazira in India, Port Louis in Mauritius, and Durban and Coega in South Africa. The service started on Jan. 21 and features five vessels with an average carrying capacity exceeding 6,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.