DP World’s South Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port handled more than 221,200 twenty-foot equivalent units in July 2026, setting its highest monthly throughput since the global ports operator began running the facility in 1999.
The performance pushed monthly container volumes beyond levels recorded before disruption to Red Sea shipping intensified in late 2023. The terminal also registered its highest monthly export volume, handling 79,720 TEUs during July as stronger outbound cargo flows added to expanding import and transshipment activity.
The record followed a sharp improvement during the first half of 2026. Container volumes at the terminal rose nearly 79 per cent from a year earlier across imports, exports and transshipment. A total of 390 vessel calls were recorded during the six-month period, reinforcing Jeddah’s role as a major gateway for trade moving between Saudi Arabia and international markets.
Shipping lines are also adding services as traffic through the Red Sea corridor strengthens. A mainline container vessel operated by Wan Hai made its maiden call at the South Container Terminal in July, broadening the range of connections available to customers using Jeddah.
The higher throughput comes after substantial investment in capacity, automation and handling equipment at the terminal. DP World and the Saudi Ports Authority, known as Mawani, inaugurated an SAR3 billion modernisation programme in March 2025 that more than doubled annual capacity from 1.8 million TEUs to 4 million TEUs. Further equipment additions could raise capacity to 5 million TEUs as demand expands.
Jeddah Islamic Port occupies a strategic position on one of the world’s most important east-west shipping corridors, linking Asia with Europe through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. The port also serves Saudi Arabia’s large domestic market, giving operators a mix of gateway cargo and transshipment opportunities.
Investment at the South Container Terminal has focused on deeper berths, larger quay cranes, automated systems and electrified equipment capable of handling ultra-large container vessels. Its deep-water infrastructure can accommodate as many as five large container ships simultaneously, increasing the ability to manage peaks in vessel arrivals while improving turnaround times.
DP World added three semi-automated quay cranes earlier this year, taking the terminal’s ship-to-shore crane fleet from 14 to 17. Each crane has a lifting capacity of 65 tonnes. The company plans to expand the fleet to 22 as part of longer-term capacity upgrades.
Another 35 electric terminal tractors were deployed in July, increasing the tractor fleet by more than 20 per cent. The vehicles form part of a wider programme to reduce emissions while improving the speed at which containers are transferred between vessels, stacking areas and landside transport connections. The electric tractors are expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions from the terminal tractor fleet by about 20 per cent compared with existing operating levels.
Automation has become a central part of the terminal’s expansion. Smart gate systems are designed to reduce transaction times to about 10 seconds, while digital cargo tracking, automated yard equipment and artificial intelligence-assisted tallying are intended to reduce delays and improve container visibility.
The terminal’s development is also being integrated with warehousing and logistics infrastructure outside the immediate quayside area. DP World is developing a 415,000-square-metre logistics park linked to Jeddah Islamic Port, aimed at providing warehousing, distribution and freight services while strengthening connections between port operations and inland supply chains.
Ownership of the terminal is also evolving. DP World agreed in February to sell a 37.5 per cent minority stake in the South Container Terminal to APM Terminals, the terminal operating arm of A. P. Moller-Maersk. DP World will retain a 62.5 per cent majority interest and continue operating the facility. The partnership brings together two major global container logistics groups at a time when carriers and terminal operators are seeking greater resilience across Red Sea supply chains.
Related Posts
Add A Comment