RIYADH: Saudi sea and rail transport links are set to be enhanced with the commencement of the first container shipment from Jubail Commercial Port to Riyadh Dry Port. This voyage was made possible through collaborative efforts between the Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, the Tax and Customs Authority, Saudi Railway Co., and Mediterranean Shipping Co., according to a statement. Moreover, the containers were transported through the railway connecting Jubail Commercial Port and the East Railway network, carrying a load of 78 receptacles. The maximum cargo capacity for one trip on the railway is 140 standard containers. This move falls within the framework of cooperation between Mawani and other concerned parties, especially SAR, which contributes to achieving integration in transporting crates, bulk materials, and general goods by connecting ports using trains. This comes with the SAR networks linking the Riyadh Dry Port with King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, King Fahd Industrial Port in Jubail, Jubail Commercial Port, and Ras Al-Khair Port. This development adds a competitive advantage for these terminals and supports the growth of ship loading and unloading services. “The launch of the first container shipment from the Jubail Commercial Port via railways to the Riyadh Dry Port and linking the ports to train networks will contribute to enhancing integration between sea and rail transport modes, raising the efficiency of logistical operations, developing the efficiency of exports and imports, and enhancing the competitiveness of the ports to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics center in accordance with Saudi Vision 2030,” Minister of Transport and Logistics Saleh Al-Jasser said in a post on X. Additionally, the railway operation will raise the level of services provided at ports, delivering innovative logistical services that contribute to developing the efficiency of exports and imports. It will also offer logistical support to industrial and commercial ports within the Kingdom, bolstering their competitive edge and facilitating commercial traffic by providing safe and sustainable solutions aimed at curbing harmful emissions and safeguarding the environment. In early April, Mawani partnered with SAR to develop a unified framework and adopt a general regulatory and legislative pattern for goods transport activities to and from the authority’s ports via railway, in accordance with the objectives of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy as well as the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.