Folk Maritime acquires its second vessel

Folk Maritime Services Company, a PIF-owned company in regional liner and feeder services, has officially acquired its second vessel, M/V Folk Jazan.

Registered at Jeddah Islamic Port, this acquisition aims to strengthen the regional maritime connectivity of Folk Maritime.

M/V Folk Jazan has begun operations on routes throughout the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf.

Poul Hestbaek, CEO of Folk Maritime, said: “This vessel not only expands our operational capabilities but also reinforces our commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by enhancing the Kingdom’s maritime infrastructure and contributing to its emergence as a global logistics hub.

“Folk Maritime’s strategic acquisition of its second owned Saudi-flagged container vessel, part of an expanding fleet now totaling six ships, significantly enhances the company’s operational flexibility and reduces dependency on chartered vessels.”

In April 2024, the company launched a new direct feeder route, linking Port Sudan to ports in Jeddah. The weekly shuttle offers a robust capacity of 700 TEU.

More recently, ORBCOMM, a provider of dry and reefer container visibility solutions, announced that Folk Maritime Services would use its smart container monitoring technology to enhance supply chain visibility and cargo protection.

This agreement would reportedly make the shipping line the first from the Middle East to operate a smart dry container fleet.