RIYADH: The number of containers handled at Saudi ports surged 18.8 percent during May. The volume of standard containers handled across the Kingdom reached 709,944 as compared to 597,617 in the same month in the previous year, the Saudi Ports Authority said in a statement on Tuesday. The authority said outbound containers rose by more than 28 percent to 224,720 in May, from 175,320 in the prior-year period. The number of inbound containers also increased 36 percent to 236,360, compared to 173,820 containers during the same month in the previous year. The number of transshipment containers rose 0.15 percent to 248,870 in May. Meanwhile, the total volume of handled cargo fell by more than 6 percent year-on-year to about 25.6 million tons. Saudi ports unloaded 574,600 livestock, an increase of 25 percent year on year. The statement said the Kingdom’s ports also recorded 1.68 million tons of foodstuff, a decline of 3 percent compared to 1.72 million tons in May 2022.