RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s ports witnessed a 16.85 percent surge in container handling in November compared to the year-ago period, according to a statement. According to the Saudi Ports Authority, also known as Mawani, ports in the Kingdom handled 737,530 standard containers in November, compared to 631,160 in the same month of 2022. The number of containers issued last month increased by 15.95 percent to 212,216, compared to 183,024 containers in the same period the previous year. The increase reflects the authority’s role in developing logistics services, raising the Kingdom’s ranking on international performance indicators, and enhancing national economic growth. The number of containers received increased by 18.67 percent to reach 224,324 containers, compared to 189,029 containers, in the corresponding month of 2022. Additionally, the number of transshipment containers handled by the ports in the Kingdom stood at 300,990 last month, up 16.16 percent compared to 259,108 containers in November 2022. This aligns with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy goals, which include strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub and the meeting point of three continents. Moreover, it increases the competitiveness of the authority’s port services in accordance with the highest international standards. The volume of general cargo amounted to 891,980 tons, 3,494,161 tons of solid bulk, and 11,205,789 tons of liquid bulk cargo, while the ports recorded an unloading rate of 754,124 heads of livestock, an increase of 159 percent, compared to 291,169 heads of livestock in the same period in 2022. The authority’s ports received 78,264 passengers in November, an increase of 6.3 percent compared to the corresponding month in 2022, which recorded 73,627 passengers. On the other hand, the Kingdom’s ports received 82,649 cars, marking a decrease of 0.84 percent, compared to 83,352 vehicles in the same period of the previous year. Maritime traffic increased by 2.11 percent, with about 1,016 ships, compared to 995 ships, in November 2022. Furthermore, earlier this year, Saudi Arabia climbed 17 global ranks in the Logistics Performance Index issued by the World Bank to reach the 38th spot globally.