The Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI) has announced the addition of the Far East to Middle East (FAM) shipping service to King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam.
The service will be operated by Singapore-based liner Sea Lead Shipping in partnership with container terminal operator Saudi Global Ports (SGP), in a bid to provide additional capacity for importers and exporters along with promoting regional and international trade.
This coincides with the commencement of the Jebel Ali Bahrain Shuwaikh Service (EJBS) by Dubaian container carrier Emirates Shipping Line (ESL), a new service which promises to shorten shipping transit times between Gulf ports.
READ: MAWANI welcomes freight line linking key Saudi ports
Both new liner services kicked off on 15 November.
The FAM service will connect Dammam to six major ports across the GCC and East Asia, namely Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Nansha, Jebel Ali, and Hamad, with an average fleet capacity of 6,900 TEU.
It was preceded by the addition of Shanghai and Singapore as ports of call to the Gulf China Service (GCS) by Pacific International Lines (PIL) in June this year, connecting the Kingdom’s northern trade gateway to the world’s top two busiest ports.
King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam set a new container throughput record in August 2022.
The port handled 199,609 TEU, surpassing its previous record set in June 2022 by 11,031 TEU.
