18.25% Increase in Exports From Saudi Arabia's Seaports in February

Saudi Arabia’s Seaports have recorded an 18.25% increase in exported containers for February compared to the same period last year. More precisely, a total of 215,491 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) were exported in February 2025, compared to 182,229 TEUs in February 2024.

However, the number of imported containers fell by 4.95% from 226,968 TEUs in previous year to 215,741 TEUs, contributing to an overall drop of 1.8% from 562,644 TEUs in February 2024 to 552,490 TEUs this year. Transshipment containers fell sharply by 21.03%, totaling 112,193 compared to 142,071 TEUs in 2024.

Total cargo tonnage declined by 3.66%, falling to 22,540,434 tonnes from 23,397,237 tonnes in 2024. This included 983,027 tonnes of general cargo, 4,027,930 tonnes of bulk solid cargo, and 11,677,568 tonnes of bulk liquid cargo. Despite these declines, January saw a 14.44% increase in container volumes compared to the same period last year.

Passenger traffic witnessed an impressive 37.85% surge, with 93,400 passengers passing through Saudi ports, up from 67,754 the previous year. Vehicle handling also saw a 3.43% increase, reaching 78,482 vehicles compared to 75,877 vehicles in February 2024. Maritime traffic saw modest growth, with 913 vessels handled in February up from 910 last year, marking a 0.33% increase.

Saudi Arabia continues to strengthen its logistic infrastructure, with major investments and port expansion projects which include, the launch of South Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port as part of DP World’s SAR 3 billion expansion programme. This aims to upgrade the terminal. Moreover, key projects, such as the Jeddah Islamic Port and King Abdulaziz Port in Damman, are estimated to receive SAR 1.9 billion in private sector investment. As non-oil exports surge, these strategic expansions continue to position Saudi Arabia as a key economic player on the international stage.