Largest container ship in Saudi Ports’ History docks in Jeddah

Largest container ship in Saudi Ports’ History docks in Jeddah

• The largest container ship in Saudi Arabian port history will be arriving at Jeddah Islamic Port, according to the Saudi Ports Authority (MAWANI). The ship, MSC Loreto, is a part of the “MSC” Swiss shipping line.
• The container ship, according to MAWANI, has a capacity of 24,346 standard containers and a draught of 17 metres. It is 400 metres long, 61.3 metres wide, and more than 33 metres deep. The ship can travel at a top speed of 22.5 knots and has a surface area of around 24,000 square metres. It is the biggest container ship to dock at any Saudi port, not just in Jeddah.
• MSC Loreto delivers a wide variety of products, including furniture, electronics, plastics, rubber, and machinery, from raw materials to completed goods.
• The MSC Loreto’s arrival at Jeddah Islamic Port strengthens the facility’s competitive edge and attests to the infrastructure’s continued growth and readiness to handle the massive container ship.
• Along with ongoing expansion projects, commercial outsourcing contracts, and other development activities, the port saw the deepening of approach channels, turning basins, waterways, and the southern terminal basin. These actions raised the operational efficiency of the port’s container stations.
• In order to reach a capacity of over 13 million containers by 2030, the port expansion activities also involved increasing the capacity of container stations by more than 70%.
• Jeddah Islamic Port was chosen by MSC Loreto because it is the first port on the Red Sea coast for transshipment of containers and cargo and shows the strong business flow there.
• By strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub and a hub connecting the three continents, it also improves operational effectiveness and the navigational link between Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world, in line with the goals of the National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services.
• The world’s first and largest container ship that runs exclusively on environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas (LNG) made its first voyage to Saudi Arabia in 2021 and docked at Jeddah Islamic Port.
• The Jeddah Islamic Port stands out for its operational prowess, making it one of the most significant ports in the area, winning the trust of international shipping lines, and drawing massive ships that expand the port’s capacity for handling cargo.